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WITH THE IRREGULARS

IN THE

TRANSVAAL AND ZULULAND.

W. H. TOMASSON,

LATE ADJUTANT OF IRREGULAR CAVALRY.

Dedicated to Colonel Redvers Buller, F.C., C.A, C.M.G.^ A,DX,,

and the Officers and Men of the Irregular Horse of

the Flying Column,

LONDON:
REMINGTON AND CO.,

NEW BOND STREET.
I 8 8 I.

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PREFACE.

Seeing how much even Eegular Eegiments prize the
record of the services of their Eegiments, sorely an
Irregular Eegiment should value such annals even
more. In the one case, every gallant deed is handed
down from generation to generation of officers and
men ; in the other, the Eegiment is disbanded, and
its members scattered to the four winds of heaven.
On these grounds I trust that this Volume, which
contains a few sketches of the deeds of the Irregular
Cavalry of the Fljdng Column, may prove acceptable
to some of its whilom members. They will, I hope,
look indulgently over the mistakes in facts and style,
of which, I am painf uUy conscious, there are many ;
I hope critics will do likewise, and remember that
the hand that wrote would rather handle sword than
pen.

Most Irregulars will not fail to discover Captain
Watt Whalley's hand in not a few of these pages*
To the public I confess the great assistance I have
received from that officer ; here is a receipt for them
to discover his hand from the Author's : all the sense

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is his, the nonsense mine. What little entertainment
the reader derives from these pages they will owe
him, as the Author does the smatter of practical
soldiering he possesses.

As my Colonel and Commandant used to say,
finishing up a wigging to his ofiBcers, "as for the
Adjutant — ^the less said of him the better ". Critics,
say worse of his writing, I defy you to.

W. H. TOMASSOK

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WITH THE IRREGULARS
IN THE TRANSVAAL AND ZULULANa

CHAPTEE L

TN the present state of South African aflFaira
"T the following chapters, the notes of a
march across North Basutoland and the Trans-
vaal may be of interest. They are from the
Journal of an officer of one of the best-known
Irregular Regiments.

On the 7th of July, 1878, the regiment left
its head-quarters near Eling William's Town
and marched north. The Kei river was crossed
on the 9th, and Fingoland entered. The
Fingoes are the most loyal race of South
Africa ; we have redeemed these people from a
life of abject slavery, and in return they are
grateful. Gratitude is scarce in South Africa ;

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the fact is therefore worth mentioning. Pre-
viously to our taking them in hand, they were
veritable hewers of wood and drawers of water
to their fiercer neighbours. They fought fairly
under various leaders — Lonsdale, Pattel, and
others during the Ghaika and Galeka wars of
1S77. They submitted to be disarmed in
1880, but have had their arms restored, and
are now fighting with us against the Tamboo-
kies, Basutos, and Tembus. After Fingoland
came the Tambookie Reserve. The Tamboo-
kies, a fairly warlike race, are now in arms
against the Cape Government. The Bashee
river was next reached; this stream formed
the limit to the waxlike operations of 1877-78
against Kreli. Here we enter Bomvanaland,
inhabited by a race remarkable for pusilla-
nimity. Most Kaffirs will make a fight for
their cattle, leaving his other belongings, such
as wife, children, and huts to their own de-
vices. However, we were told that these
Bomvanas cannot be provoked to hostilities
even by this grievous injury.

I regret I have never heard the course the
Colonial Government adopted with respect to

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the country lying between the Butterworth
and Bashe riveys; neither have I learnt the
fate of Kreli the chief of the country. He
and his people fought right well for their
independence, and fought honourably. He
was supposed to be averse to war, but was
overruled by his young men. Finding he
could not avert bloodshed, he warned all Euro-
pean residents to quit his territory. In some
instances he even supplied an escort for pro-
tection of life and property. In his case we
hear nothing of those hideous atrocities that
were committed by the Christian, and other
adherents of Sandili, the Gaika chief in British
Kaflfraria. Sandili, however, had the good for-
tune to fall in fight. Kreli is probably a wan-
derer from his beautiful country. And it is a
glorious territory, with rich and fertile soil,
noble forests, and abundance of water. It
would be an admirable home for settlers. The
only drawback discoverable during the weeks I
patrolled the territory were the ticks. These
attacked both man and beast in the immediate
neighbourhood of the sea coast. The Colonial
Governments have, however, always set their

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faces against emigration, no importation of
small settlers having taken place since 1858.
Then General von Stittenheim established his
German legionaries in KaflEraria. These men
were the relics of the German Legion raised
for service in the Crimea. They started with
absolutely nothing beyond a small grant of
land, and a daily ration of food. Now the
survivors and second generation are in very
comfortable circumstances.

July 19. Rose at 3 a.m., packed waggons
by moonlight. A severe frost, as indeed there
was wherever we went, till arrival at Lydenberg,
and afterwards in Zululand. Reach the settle-
ment and river of Umtata at noon. Here is a
bishop of the Church of England, a cathedral
of corrugated iron, and some 30 or 40 houses
scattered here and there, as though shaken out
of a pepper box. On the west bank of the
river a British magistrate seems to have some
authority, he has been since murdered we be-
lieve. The owners of property on the other
side have to deal with a Pondo chief Umkalese
who levies taxes as he thinks proper. By send-

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ing a cow's tail to tlie settler he compels his
(the trader's) attendance at his big kraal. One
house, supposed to have been a hotel, is oh
the Pondo side, but does, or did no traffic in
liquors on account of the heavy license de-
manded by this astute barbarian. What an
example for the Middlesex magistrates. We
left this spot after a day's halt, and saw thence-
forward but few houses till arrival at Griqua-
land. The telegraph was opened between
Natal and the Cape a few months previously.
There is a European operative resident at the
diJBTerent stations few and far between.

July 22. Reach the Tina river, a noble
affluent of the St. John's River. A day's halt^
and much bathing and washing. All along
this river, war is now, 1881, raging fiercely.
The troops are under the command of Lieut. -
CoL Baker, whose name figures frequently
hereafter in this book

July 22. tJamp on banks of the Umzim-
vubu or St. John's river proper. The scenery
here is very grand, and the hill leading from
the drift towards the eastward a feature to be
remembered.

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July 27. After crossing other large streams
the 90th Light Infantry under Col. Wood was
overtaken by us at a place 5 or 6 miles from
Kokstad, on the borderland of Griqualand West.

July 28. The column thus united, marched,
or rather scrambled into Kokstad. The hill up
which the waggon had to be dragged was a real
caution, and made us begin to understand the
difficulty Colonel Wood had in getting trans-
port riders to accompany his columns. His
train was composed chiefly of ox-waggons,
with owners or conductors of the nondescript
Dutch-English breed, peculiar to the business
of carrying in South Africa. It appears that
these men were compelled to bring on their
waggons so far from their houses in the Cape
Colony, and to traverse this wild and almost
unknown country. Their outcry against the
Colonel as the waggons stuck was rich in
oaths, both English and Dutch. However, by
dint of unloading and reloading, and drag
ropes hauled on by the troops, the thing was
compassed somehow, and we found ourselves
in Kokstad by 4 p.m. We had calculated on
a good night's rest after this manual labour^

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but had to turn out the Regiment during the
night to put out a grass fire some three or
four miles oflF.

Kokstad is so called after Adam Kok, who
bought his Griquas here from Griquland West
(now the Diamond Fields). Here we remained
three weeks, which were not unprofitably spent
in drilling our men, many of whom had joined
but a few days before leaving Kingwilliam's
Town. Kokstad has streets, and a magistrate,
one or two churches and hotels. It is miser-
ably cold in the winter at least. There was a
sort of rebellion here which was easily sup-
pressed, the only loss of life arising from the
explosion of a powder magazine, by which I
think several Europeans, amongst them some
ladies, were killed or seriously injured. The
place was garrisoned as we marched in by a
company of the 3rd Buffs, and a detachment
of Cape Mounted Rifles. The natives here are
clothed in the European fashion. Adam Kok
appears to have been a chief of great intelli-
gence and capacity. A good ruler, and a
friend to the English, his death was a loss to
all parties.

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Dormg otiT stay d.t Kokstad, Captahi Barton
of the Ccddstream Guards, attached td the
regiment, went with some of the authorities
to seek an interview with the Pohdo chief.
This Journey had no result. The natives
Mlowed the small party to come within sight;
but decMned to hold any intercourse, although
they were in great numbers. These Pohdos
were evidently anxious not to give any cause
of complaint, and wisely avoided arty discus-
sion with the Cape authorities. Although
they were guiltless of any act that could
possibly be construed iQto a breach of the
peace, they were prepared to pay over a large
iiumber of cattle to the authorities to be left
in peace.

An English lady, by name Mrs. Jenkins,
since dead, lived in their midst, doing good
According to her lights. She appeared to
exercise great influence over the chief Umiqui-
kela and his councillors. She had one Euro-
pean companion of her own sex, who elected
to share this isolated life with the old lady.

What the Ciape Grovemment wished to ex-
tract from these Pondos we could not hear. It

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ippeats, however, Mr. Sprigg, the Cape Pre-
mier, took advantage of this overland move-
ment of troops to Natal— even if the marcli
were hot tmdertaken at his solicitation — to,
pick a quarrel with these Pondos. These
people were 200 nules from the Cape frontier,
and were in no way concerned or interested in
Colonial matters. They only wished to be
allowed to manage their own affairs in their
<iwn way, which is mild and inoffensive enough.
We have since wondered how Sir Bartle Frere
and Lord Chelmsford allowed themselves to be
made, in some ineasure, the tool of the astute
Cape lawyer. However, at the present mo-
ment, Jan., 1881, Mr. Sprigg seems to have
succeeded in his policy of aggression, and to
have raised a tolerably compact resistance to
his scheme of Colonial supremacy. These
schemes were successful enough in 1878 when
the Colonial levies having failed to do any-
thing, the Imperial troops came forward, and
put ail end to the conflict. It remains to be
feeeh what the Colonists unassisted will accom-
plish. Thejr, however, are largely supported
by a staff of British regular officers. It is

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devoutedly to be hoped that they will be left
to get out of their self-made difficulties as they
best can, and that they will be disabused of
, the idea that the British taxpayer is to find
the sinews of war, and the British army to
bleed, while they reap the advantages of the
expenditure.

On this occasion, Aug., 1878, Mr. Sprigg
was unsuccessful in his attempts on the
Pondos, and after three weeks' delay — ^which
we afterwards found to be an irreparable loss —
we were suffered to proceed on our road. We
quitted Kokstad on August 19. Since then
the Pondos were left in peace, unharrassed,
while English troops were engaged fiercely in
Zululand. After the close of the Zulu war a
desperate attempt was made to stir them up.
They could not, however, be induced to fight.
Now, when the Cape Government's feeble
hands are more than ftdl with Basuto, Tam-
bookies, Tembu, Pondomise and other wars,,
the Pondos are restive, and they are cowardly
enough to pander to them, and by truckling
hope to keep them quiet. It is to be hoped
that the Colonial Office at home will take

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up their cause and look after them. They are
much sinned against, and very little have
sinned. Poor fellows, let once the other wars
be over and their turn comes next, and they
know it. Therefore let us hope our own tem-
perate Colonial Office will step in, and firmly
and judiciously treat these good people. On
the evening of the day we left Kokstad we
crossed into Alfred County, Natal. The road
cut through a northemly projection of that co-
lony for a couple of miles. We had, at a house
rejoicing under the name of Beast Kraal, a
conversation with a huge Yorkshireman and hia
handsome wife. They had been attacked by
the rebel Griquas who quitted the house with-
out fortunately taking life. By way of com-^
mitting extra damage they had thrown all the
molasses they could find about the floor, and
plucking the fowls they had killed, stuck the
feathers into the treacle.

August 20. Eeach civilisation, or rather
partial civilisation, and cross the Umzimkulu
into Natal. At the ferry is a telegraph-office,
shops, and actually a billiard table. After
this day we began to see houses, enclbsures.

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and plantations of gum and fruit trees. There
is also a good road, that portion descending
the beautiftd valley of the Umkomazi being
really a work of science and labour judiciously
combined.

AiLgiLst 24. Reach Pietermaritzburg, being
played in by the Infantry band. Tents are
pitched just below Fort Napier. Thus ended
a march which proves with what rapidity a
well calculated movement can be effected, in
ian almost unknown country, nearly entirely
destitute of roads and supplies. Leaving
King William's Town on 7th July, Kokstad
was reached on 28th. Total 22 days, of which
5 were halts. From Kokstad to Pietermaritz-
burg were 5 days. Total 22 days of marcK
to go over 410 miles, or thereabouts, of as
difficult a country, as in several years of veiy
varied service we had the good fortxme to see.
Our transport consisted of 8 ox waggons,
carrying about 2200 Jlbs. each. Major, now
Colonel Redvers BuUer in command, proved to
the satisfaction of all ranks, that he was as
well qualified to organise, as to carry out.
From that time he was looked up to by all

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under his command, as a man who foresaw
everything, and never erred in his calculations.
At Pietermaritzburg, a few recruits were
picked up, and a few good-for-nothings dis-
charged. And on 29th August, 1878, the
regiment set forth for the Transvaal Lady-
Smith, 100 miles, was reached in four days. A
day's halt, and three days more brought us to
Newcastle, 180 miles from Pietermaritzburg.
All this road was very fair being the main
highway of the Colony. It had excellent
bridges and but few very severe hills, such
as present themselves on the more deserted
eastern road by Greytown. The condition of
the roads at this time was very different to
what they were a year later, when the traffic
of the store waggons bound for Zululand had
completely destroyed them. At Greytown
another day's halt took place, and we took
stock of the last English town we were likely
to see for some time. Here we met, at a
billiard table with some brother officers, the
first Transvaal Boers we had seen. These
people are not backward in opening conversa-
tion, and accordingly began to question us.

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They asked our purpose in marching, as to
our domestic affairs, and fears, and hopes
generally.

They were pleased to express approval of
our going to fight Secocoeni. This was the
Basuto Chief who had given their ex-President
Burgers so much thread to twist. They then,
having satisfied their ample capacity for news,
suffered us to dine in peace. We enjoyed the
hospitality of the innkeeper, Mr. Hitchcock,
afterwards killed at Isandhlwana.

It may here be not out of place to insert
the colonial opinion of Dutchmen. A Boer is
is described as simple in some things, very
few however, as a child, as acute in the
majority as a Bristol Quaker, he is supposed
to be endowed with the appetite of an ostrich,
and the freedom from nicety of a vulture.
To the weak, he is insolent, brutal and over-
bearing, to the strong he is either cringing, or
takes refuge in stupidity, and a stolid sullen-
ness. Morals he has none, and the crime of
incest is rife, especially in the northern Trans-
vaal. The women are without the natural
delicacy of their sex, the men have no chivalry.

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CHAPTER 11.

AN the 8th September, while halting for
^ breakfast at a farm-house owned by an
Englishman, who supplied bundles of forage
(oat hay) we found that we were in the Trans-
vaal. The boundary line was marked by an
inconsiderable brook. The next afternoon we
reached the little hamlet of Amersfort. There
is here a large shop, and a Dutch Church,
served by the minister of Standerton. That
day we began to understand the meaning of
Hooge Veldt. It is a country perfectly flat, at
a considerable elevation (5000 feet) above the
sea level, destitute of anything approaching
timber, or, indeed, of any sort of fuel save that
left by grazing cattle. This mest (in Dutch) —
groslock, we think, is the Scotch — gives, when
diy, great heat, and burns rapidly. At Amers-
foi t certain Boers of the real unadorned type

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called on us to try and sell horses. In this,
dealing they could open their mouths well.
There was some disappointment on their part^
and angry remarks that, not content with tak-
ing their country, our men were actually pick-
ing up their cattle droppings. We think they
finished by selling a horse or two, when the
difficulty as to the method of payment arose.

No bank notes or cheques on the Standard
Bank at Newcastle were to be accepted, but
the hard money must be paid down then and
there. We forgot how the affair was finally
arranged, but fancy an English storekeeper
came to the rescue. There is no denying the
fpxjt that these Boers have the greatest sus-
picion of Englishmen. That they have been
plundered in their dealings with Jew, and pro-
bably not a few Scotch and English traders, to
say nothing of German storekeepers there is no
doubt. Many and curious are the anecdotes
we have heard of the dodges resorted to by un-
scrupulous traders to victimize the ignorant
Dutchman. One of these, which may be new
to English readers, may be worth relating. A
certain Boer who had suspicions of a store-

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keeper's integrity with infinite labour made up
by the help of a " Eeady Reckoner " the value
of so many waggon loads of wool which he was
about to dispose of. The storekeeper's price
fell much below that expected by the Boer.
The latter triumphantly produced his book of
figures to prove his correctness. The honest
buyer was taken aback, but quickly recovered
himself. Taking the " Eeady Reckoner ' from
the Boer's hand, he looked at the title-page,
and pointed out that the book was several years
old, and that the multiplication there recorded
was therefore valueless for the date at which
the transaction took place. The Boer returned
home serenely content. Probably finding the
Reckoner dated before the Annexation, and the
smaller price after, he is now riding with Jou-
bert, and slaughtering prisoners, or some other
equally inoffensive little game. Never mind,
it's all the same, and some benevolent, but not
very practical M.P.'s, will shield him, because,
forsooth, a paper expressive of sympathy is
being signed in Germany. We are rather far
gone when we allow our neighbours to interfere
in our treatment of our rebellious vassals.

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The real object of a Boer s special aversion
is the Hollander, that is, a native of Holland
A few of these gentry are to be found in South
Africa, and their superior education has enabled
them to do a good stroke of business on the
unsophisticated South African kinsmen. They
are willin g to turn their hands- to any light
employment where pickings are to be had, and
generally occupy positions as schoolmasters
or attorney or solicitor-generals. The Boer
will admit that all Englishmen are not aU
rogues ; but nothing on this earth will per-
suade him that a Hollander is not a person
who has made his native country too hot for
him. It may here be recorded that the Boers*
notions of honesty are, by no means, strict
Storekeepers have told us that their assistants
always keep a watchful eye on their Dutch cus-
tomers, who are apt to take away articles not
paid for. We remember a Jew shopkeeper in
the Cape Colony detecting the theft of a pair
of trousers. The Boer had got into a back
room to tr}^ them on. He did so, and then
pulled his own over them and marched out,
saying, as he went by, that they did not fit.
In these cases the dealer does not openly tax

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the customers with theft, but rather makes out
a bill in which the missing articles are charged
Often the Boers used to come into stores when
our men were there, thinking, no doubt, that
the blame of any missing articles would be
charged to our Irregulars.

However, we will leave the Dutchmen for &
while, they are quite able to take care of them-
selves, and continue our march across the High
Veldt. This becomes extremely monotonous
after a day or two. The same vast expanse of
open arid plain imrelieved by landmark of any
sort. Water scarce, and existing principally in
small stagnant swamps. Occasionally a house
might be seen in the far distance, with a willow
or two planted in front, or we might pass a so
called farm once in 24 hours. As a general rule,
the whole location consists of an erection con-
taining one, or at most two, rooms, A kraal of
loose stones, some 3 or 4 feet high, for cattle
completes the homestead. Wherein dwells some
12 or 15 Dutch, of ages varjdng from 3 months
to many years. This we have heard described
as a patriarchal mode of existence, it is certainly
one very repugnant to English notions. Let

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TO give the narrative of a night's lodging at a
Boer's house. Duty led us with an Irregular
orderly past the house. It was night, and a
great storm was gathering. We asked hospi-
tality (and paid for it). Our horses were
stripped and let out, and we came in in time
for the evening meaL It consisted of goats'
flesh, placed on the .table in the pot it was
boiled in. Every one dived and fished up with
their own forks. There was a community in
the matter of drinking apparatus, there being
only two, both tin billys. Forks were scarce^
and one used their own knives, grabbing in the
pot for anything you wanted. At an early
hour two girls brought in a mysterious tin
vessel with a small amount of water in it and
a towel, and a very small one, too. This water
was to wash every one's feet ; the two
daughters of the house did this, one washing,
the other drying. As the family consisted of
thirteen people, with two strangers, the state
of water and towel when the operation was over
may be left to the reader's imagination. He
needs have a vivid one. Afterwards, with
everything on save boots, we retired to roost.

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Will it be believed that the whole family —
father, mother, grandmother, five sons, and
four daughters, all grown up, together with any
strangers that might happen to drop in —
occupied the same chamber ? and that a small
one. There was but small delicacy observed.
By the aid of a tallow candle, coats were taken
oflF and rolled for pillows, and blankets came
into use. The damsels were, by no means,
careful to hide any of the charms that nature
had provided them with. Every one slept
where he happened to select. Save the fact
that a recent fever was still hanging round us,
and that the storm was raging fiercely, we
should much have preferred the sky for a roo£
As it was protected by our saddle, we fell
asleep at last among the most diabolical concert
fi-om the snoring famUy it has ever been our
misfortune to hear. This is the patriarchal
mode of existence. We will answer that, if
some of our humanitarian members slept one
night such as this, he would forswear the cause
of the Transvaal Boers. This man at whose
house we slept owned 8000 acres of land.
Occasionally we would purchase a fowl or two
at these undesirable dwellings, but nether their

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occupants nor ourselves cared for much conver-
sation. However, any sort of habitation broke
the sameness of this coxmtry, which was also oc-
casionally relieved by the view of large herds of
vildebeeste and the various classes of boks.
. They would often approach in large numbers
close to our line of march, which was pursued at
a steady walk of 4 or 4^ miles an hour. Time
being important, and ammunition valuable, the
troop officers forbade any pursuit or firing,
although, on our way south to the Zulu fron-
tier two months later, a fair amoxmt of sport
was obtained.

Sept. 10. Reached the Vaal river and en-
camped. This was a red letter day for two
reasons. First, on account of the stream,
which, although very different from its ap-
pearance at Pniel and Klipdrift (Diamond
Fields), is still a stream. That is, we could
determine which way the current moved, a
somewhat unusual circumstance in this flat
country. We could bathe and wash, two
luxuries beyond price. Then, in the next
place, we had the pleasure of meeting a Dutch
farmer belonging to the educated and en-

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lightened section of the community. With
Mr. Retief, his wife and handsome daughter,
we spent half-an-hour very pleasantly. This
gentleman is famous for being the son of the
Dutch leader, who with his commando was
treacherously murdered by Dingaan the Zulu
king. A massacre the Boers avenged to some
purpose at a later date. In their earlier con-
flicts with the Zulus, the Boers seemed to have
displayed a bravery amounting at times to
recklessness. Men, women, and children alike
took part in the struggle, which ended in the
division of the Zulu nation, and a disastrous
defeat of the anti-Boer party. That this spirit
exists in some of the present generation of
Boers, cannot be denied, although the later
history of the South African Republic show a
lamentable falling oflF in patriotism and self-
sacrifice. Those who were acquainted with
Mr. Piet Uys and his sons, killed on the
Zlobane, March 28, 1879, will bear testimony
to their courage and devotion. Sir Evelyn
Wood, we believe, looked upon Mr. Piet Uys as
a most valuable friend and ally, and had good
reason to lament his untimely death. We

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forget how many sons this brave man left
behind ; but let us hope the Imperial Govern-
ment did not forget its obligations, and that
they are now ranked on our side in the present
struggle. The landroost of Utrecht, Mr.
Rudolph and his brother Andries were also
prominent at the Zulu War. Of the latter it
was said, he could see a native at a mile dis-
tance, and shoot him at two. Allowing for
hyperbole, we can of our own knowledge
speak of their wonderful powers of vision and
of their accuracy as marksmen. In the first
qualification they hold their own with the^
natives. Cornelius Uys could distinguish
objects with the naked eye, as well as we
could with a field glass. He could with his
Lancaster rifle bring down birds on the wing
in a truly sportsmanlike manner. Of Andries
Rudolph, Piet Uys used to say, "Rudolph
no very quick, but he shoot straight". All
these men, and all the best and bravest of the
Transvaal will be on our side in the struggle.
Let us hope their uncultured brethren will not
murder them for their attachment to English
rule. The Boers are merely fighting, because

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they hate us, who buy their land, develop
their country, and do not let them whip their
own niggers at wilL To return to Mr. Eetief,
we regret we were unable to have a longer
interview with him. He had a well built and
<X)mfortably furnished house, with orchard,
and out-buildings, and enclosures, that did
one's heart good to look at, after three or four
days' journey over the High Veldt. At part-
ing he requested us to send him a schoolmaster,
should we meet with that article in our travels.
We think all classes of Dutchmen recognise
the value of education for their children,
although but few incur the expense of a
teacher. In the Transvaal indeed, a very
small percentage of the farmers have accommo-
dation for a schoolmaster, were they even
willing to spare the small charge made by this
person, who is generally a wanderer with whom
other callings have proved failures.

Sept. 14* Four days more of the High
Veldt, and we reach Nazareth, or as the
English call it Middleburg. The former name
were better retained to avoid complication
with the Middleburg of the Cape Colony,

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which is the chief place of a division almost
wholly inhabited by the Dutch. Of Nazareth
we saw but little, as the next day but one we
marched. The intervening Sunday was fully
occupied in fitting out the troops with such
supplies as could be procured in the village.
It boasted of a small street or two, planted
with willows, a post office, and some grog
shops, called canteens or hotels, where every-
thing that was poisonous in the way of liquor
was retailed at famine prices. The following
day saw us encamped on the Steelport river,
of which we were destined to see a good deal
before relinquishing our attack on Secocoeni.

Sept 19. Reached the Leydenberg flats
and camped some 5 or 6 miles from the town.
No more high veldt but steep barren moun-
tains on every side. We here discovered our
proximity to the enemy's country — a deserted
farm lying about a mile oflF, visited, however,
in the day time by its owner, who had treked
into Leydenberg.

Sept 20. Marched into Leydenberg. Time
occupied from Pietermaritzburg 23 days, of
which we halted four. The distance supposed

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380 miles. We had, however, diverged from
the direct route. Somebody said our guide
led us astray on purpose, to visit a sweetheart
at a Dutchman's farm; but, however, that
might be, we certainly got over 400 miles in
19 days, a performance of which we were not
a little proud. The hills must have been
rather frequent, for we had climbed 3500 feet
from Pietermaritzburg.

Leydenberg is a pretty town with abun«
dance of trees and watercourses. The Standard
Bank of British South Africa has a branch
here, although, we believe business is very
slack since the cessation of work at the gold
fields, close by. The town, which was pre«
viously the centre of a republic of its own,
before being incorporated with the Transvaal,
has shops with the usual inferior goods at
unheard of prices. The rate of transport from
Durban at this time was 40s. per 100 lbs., a
fact that storekeepers did not fail to make the
most of. As a waggon carries from 6000 to
8000 lbs., the owner of one waggon could make
some £120 to £160, for the up journey, and
have the down journey as well. The latter

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would probably clear lis few expenses and
replace any bullocks he might happen to loose.
This is most certainly the way to make money,
but the labour is intense. The Government
load for waggons is 4500 lbs., but their oxen
are not so well looked after as the transport
riders are.

Our transactions at the shop consisted in
purchasing tobacco at 7s. per lb., and one
bottle of beer at 5s. 6d. The ordinary price
■of this tamarind tobacco is 3s., and of beer at
Durban Is. 6d., which allows a fair margin for
profit. These people did not, in the least,
object to fleecing we poor soldiers who had
•come to rid them of their bugbear, SecocoenL

From Leydenberg to Delagoa Bay is, we
believe, 140 miles. There is no doubt but
that under a settled Government the place will
•develop. The road to the coast after crossing
the Lembombo divide becomes desperately un-
healthy. Travellers during nine months of the
year being attacked by fevers of virulent and
fatal character. The tetse fly also prevents the
use of oxen and horses for draught purposes.
This fly lives in the bush, and attacks horse

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and oxen, stinging them ; one bite is enough^
and they waste and died the next rain. It
is harmless to man. One firm of merchants
endeavoured to organize a camel train, but the
result was a failure. A railway will ultimately
be constructed, the Portugese Government
having expressed its willingness to find money.
The graziers and grain producers of the
Northern part of the Transvaal will thus pro-
cure a ready means of forwarding their wool,
hides, and com to the best harbour of South
AMca. This railway would no doubt have
been started before but for the most determined
opposition of the colonists of Natal. The
Natal Government levy taxes and customs on
all things disembarked at Durban for the
Transvaal. Their roads are full of Transvaal
produce ; their inns of Transvaal people.
Therefore they oppose it. By this raQway
Natal would loose half its revenue ; more than
half, in fact. They oppose Confederation, be-
cause the common sense of a united assembly
would trample on the meaness thus perpetra-
ted. This railway to Leydenberg from Dela-
goa Bay would save a journey of five months

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at least, and would reduce the cost of all
things. By taking European produce, and
consequently English tradesmen, into the
country, it would do more to pacify the Trans-
vaal than all the troops we now are sending
out. Then the trade into the vast interior
would be increased tenfold, and civilization
with it.

The Colonial Office, no doubt, knows this,
and probably the scheme will be taken in hand
by them to some purpose. It is far better to
come from them than from any of the Colonial
Governments, who would only make a party
matter of the affair.

The gold fields at Leydenburg are played
out ; there never was alluvial or riverbed gold,
only pockets in the hills where the trains of
many centuries had washed it into fissures of
the rocks. It never payed particularly well,
and there is no doubt it will soon die out. Old
Australian diggers were woefully disappointed
with it. Leydenberg must then turn to its
proper use — a depot for the interior markets.

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CHAPTEK III.

Sept 21. T EFT this outpost of civilisation
•^ early on our advance to Fort-
Burgers. The track resembled the bed of a
mountain torrent more than anything else, and
led along the foot of rugged hills whose slopes
were covered with a dense growth of thorn
bushes. The heat now became oppressive, and
henceforth we were dependent for water on the
rivers Spekboom and Steelport ; of other supply
during our operations we saw none. Fort-
Burgers is situated at the confluence of these
two rivers, and is surrounded by the usual
barren hills and dense thorn.

Of the operations under Col. Rowlands, V.C.,
it is not our purpose here to speak. The force
at his disposal was quite inadequate to approach
Secocoeni's Town even had we been supplied
with water. The suflFerings of the 13th Light

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Infantry on their march were painful to witness,
and Colonel Rowlands might well say the game
was not worth the candle.

Hostilities consisted in marching under a
broiling sun at the foot of steep mountains,
whence the Basutos fired with such weapons
and skill as they were possessed of. Fortu-
nately the damages were small. In the words
of one of our men in the Zulu War, " This is
diflferent to Secocoeni's, where they used to
come down and fire a bucket of powder and a
bag of bullets at us without hitting, and then
go away to bed."

Why President Burgers got into a conflict
about such a hopeless country is more than we
can discover. Moreover, when he was in it he
and his Boers failed lamentably in their attack.
The Dutchmen showed a great want of alacrity
in joining their Commandoes. What fighting
took place was done chiefly by English and
German mercenaries ; and, on the whole, Mr.
Burgers (who by the way is a clergyman by
profession) did not shine as a military leader
or war minister.

To add to our troubles, horse sickness

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declared itself in one corps, in the first week
of October. Of this disease I know no remedy,
neither did Mr. Duck of the Royal Artillery,
our veterinary surgeon, ever discover any.
This officer had ample scope for studying the
symptoms of this scourge, which carried off
its victims in periods, varying from four to
twenty-four hours. The symptoms are, heav-
ing in the flanks, horse alternately lies down
and rises every five minutes. The last falls
to the ground are accompanied by a profuse
discharge of white frothy matter from the
nose. The only precautions we could adopt
were to draw away the dead animal imme-
diately, bum the head collar, and bury the
usual discharge. Latterly, the deaths were 8
or 10 per diem. Every cavalry officer will
imagine the feelings with which we saw dis-
appear, the poor animals that had marched
with us so many hundred of miles, since the
formation of the corps. These horses were
mostly bred in the Stormberg a very extensive
district of the Cape Colony between Queens-
town and Dordrecht. The average price was
X22. Those that survived the dangers of the

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previous campaign were invaluable, though
not much to look at. They were short hardy
horses, 14*3, or thereabouts, inured to short
rations and other privations. The breed of
horses in South Africa is deteriorating year by
year, the farmers from increased attention to
ostrich farming and other causes, neglecting
the horse. In former times Cape horses were
well known in India, now the whalers or
Australian horses have taken their place. In
the Zulu war at a later date, when alongside
the K.D.G's. and 17th Lancers, we congratu-
lated ourselves on not being mounted on
English horses, the majority of whom gave
way under the hardships of the campaign.
At the same time it would be out of the
question to mount an English Cavalry Kegi-
ment in South Africa, as there is necessarily
a limit to even what the Cape horse wiU carry.
We regret we never inquired during the war
what weight a Lancer's horse carried. Sword,
lance, carbine, 100 rounds of ammunition,
blankets, picket pegs, with valise and cloak,
in addition to the trooper, made up a weight
most distressing and inconvenient. To return

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to the horse sickness, I have heard that the
Boers have a nostrum which cures horses in
the earlier stages. It was not, however, to
their interest to cure ours, as we had of course
to procure fresh ones, which meant a ready
sale for theirs. They, the Boers, occasionally
bring forward a so-called " salted " horse, that
is, one which has had the sickness and re-
covered. They say that a horse can never be
attacked a second time. On this account sums
of £70 to £100, are demanded for these
animals, a portion of the price to lie over till
the immunity from disease of the horse be-
comes an established fact. We do not know
how this arrangement works. On the 13th
October, whilst a portion of Corps was patrol-
ling the gold fields, the regiment received orders
through its commanding officer Capt. Watt
WhaUey, from Colonel Rowlands, to remove bag
and baggage and rejoin Colonel Buller, and
march to Newcastle. At that time we had lost
47 horses since our entrance to the Transvaal
through sickness, besides those killed in action.
We felt much sympathy with Colonel Row-
lands, who saw himself beaten out of the

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country by causes utterly beyond his controL
Two British regiments, with several thousand
native auxiliaries, and a good transport train
and commissariat department were required
by Sir Garnet to get possession of Secocoeni'a
stronghold, and water, when Sir Garnet was
there was plentiful. We arrived in Leyden-
berg on the 3rd inst. with the headquarters,
and a large train of ox- waggons having taken
a westerly and better track along the Water-
fall valley to return with. There are several
farms (then deserted) on this road, with a
tropical vegetation in the valley, and, I fancy,
the inseparable fever. One of our Dutch
waggon drivers owned one of these farms, and
he complained bitterly of his hard lot. As his
ramshackle waggons were earning £1 10s. a
day each, with a load not to exceed 3000 (the
usual one is 8000), we could not give him
much sympathy. The day after our arrival,
whilst getting ready for our march southward,
we were surprised by an order to saddle up
one hundred men, and return with all speed
to Colonel Kowlands. The Colonel meditated
giving the natives a gentle reminder before

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leaving them. The business in question re-
lated to a stad (camp) on the other side of the
Steelport in a strong position on high ground,
commanded by still higher mountains. This
was stormed by the 13th Light Infantry and
some native allies in first-class style. Although
the loss in killed and wounded to that gallant
corps was not great, the whole affair was most
creditable to all parties concerned. We had
many a march with the 13th before leaving
Africa, and a finer body of officers and men
it has never been our lot to have for neigh-
bours. With a year or two more of War
Office reforms, we suppose that this famous
regiment will also be one of the skeletons,
reminding one by its numbers only, if per-
chance even that escape, of what an English
regiment had been. They have been called on,
and that too nearly the moment they returned,
to furnish volunteers for service in India.
Since then they have been again stripped till
but few old Africans are in their ranks. After
this attack on Tolyana (we think that was the
name), we fled southward with our utmost
speed. We marched seventy miles in two

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days^ Captain Whalley thinking to save what
could be saved of the remainder of our horses.
On Nov. 4 we drew rein on the shore of Lake
Chrassie, a pool of stagnant water, useless
alike for ablution or drinking. It covers 1 00
acres, with a depth of about 18 inches. We
passed several decent farms on this route,
which was to the eastward of that we had
previously used. One of them was pointed
out to us as belonging to a Boer who had been
fined £100 for cowardice in the matter of the
Commandoes against Secocoeni. We do not
know if it was paid or not. Most of these Boers
were supposed to be friendly. In fact, we are
convinced that all of those with good houses,
homesteads, and a stake in the country of any
magnitude think in their heart of hearts, that
British rule is a desirable one, an improvement
on the bankrupt anarchy of the South African
Kepublic,

A more lamentable state of ajSairs than that
existing in the South African Kepublic before
the annexation cannot be conceived. The
President, before departing, gave in his final
address a very accurate picture of things as

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they were. He evidently considered the case
quite hopeless. The complete demoralisation
can be best summed up by saying, as, indeed,
President Burgers said plainly, " The native
enemies were taking possession of the soil of
the Kepublic, and that there was not a Boer
who would fight, neither was there a sovereign
in the exchequer of the state."

On Nov. 7 we camped on the Vaal Kiver.
Here dwelt one Buhrmann, an enlightened Boer,
with a solid stone house, outbuilding, and
orchards. All this man's family spoke perfect
English, probably the younger ones knew but
little DutcL Their education had, moreover,
taught them to exercise considerable acuteness
in matters of business, and to open their
mouths widely. The following day we en-
camped on a nearly stagnant stream, at a place
called Kobertson, after two Scotch brothers,
who have there large stores and an ostrich
enclosure.

Several days* halt was made to take stock
of deficient equipment ; and one day was oc-
cupied by all the officers in roaming through the
country looking for newly-purchased horses

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which had strayed. On this day we called at
several Dutch farms mostly showing signs of
indolence or poverty. We were everywhere
received with civility, and every information
given us. This, it must be remembered, was
antecedent to the Zulu War, which was ex-
pected to break out every day.

Consequently our temporizing Dutch neigh-
' hours saw it was their interest to treat us with
consideration. On the 20th Nov. we arrived
at Wakkerstrom, or Wesselstrom, a neat little
village, that will some day rise to be a town of
importance. Two days later we marched to
the position we were to occupy at Eland's
Neck, till the war broke out. It is midway
between Utrecht and Wakkerstrom 16 miles
from either.

This concludes a record of over a thousand
miles of travel and march.

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CHAPTER IV.

AN the 10th of March, 1879, we found our-
^ selves on that most uncomfortable of
vehicles a Natal post-cart, en route from
Durban for Estcourt. We were there to join
a detachment of Irregular Horse. They were
on their march to join Wood's column then
at Kambula. Between the jolts one had time
to speculate on what manner of men we had
the task of marching some 200 miles of
country with. One previous experience of
newly raised volunteers had, we are bound to
say, prejudiced us most strongly against them:
they appeared to be rough, undisciplined and
disrespectful to their officers, fearfully slovenly
and the veriest drunkards and winebibbers
that ever took carbine in hand. On the other
hand they looked, what they eventually were.

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just the rough and hardy men to wage a
partisan warfare against an active enemy.
The steeds they bestrode were as hardy as
themselves. In short, they were the makings
of a rough but effective force, could they ever
be brought into anything like order. It needed
a thoroughly masterful man, like Colonel Ked-
vers Buller, to bring these desperadoes into
subjection. After a dusty and uncomfortable
journey we reached P.M.B., as the Natalians
love to call Pietermaritzburg, at six. Seven
found us at dinner in the Royal Hotel, a good
one for Natal. We were detained a day at
Maritzburg, and on the 1,2th of March left it
by post-cart. This 12th of March was the
day set apart for a day of Humiliation by the
Governor : all shops were closed and business
totally suspended. The people of P.M.B. did
not look as humiliated as they ought to be, in
fact the day was gone by for that : most of
them thought it a bore, others took advantage
of a holiday and a fine day, and went on pic-
nics. The danger of invasion which had lain
on the coimtry so long was just lifting. The
first of a great series of reinforcements had

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arrived; the "Shah" had landed her Naval
Brigade and her St. Helena garrison; the
"Tamar" had landed the 57th, brought from
Ceylon ; and the telegram flashed the number
of regiments already more than half way
on their voyage. To return to our journey ;
just outside the town came the awful town
hill, up whose steep sides, in wet weather it
takes a week for bullocks to climb the five
miles. At all the stiff pulls we had to get out
and trudge behind the cart, for though the
post-cart proprietors covenant to deliver your
body in a more or less battered condition to
your destination, the unlucky traveller finds
that a considerable portion of the way must
be compassed on his own supporters. After a
weary climb we reached the hill top, and then
scrambling on to our perches we held on by
the skin of our teeth and our eyelids to the
slipping mail-bags on which we sit. While we
tear down the gentle slope that stretches to
Howick, we can glance at what a Natal post-
cart is like. Imagine then a square box
perched on two strong wheels, the paint ante-
diluvian at least and of a dingy red, very

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roughly made, very strong and elastic. The
horses are six in number, wild, untrained,
matched on undiscoverable principles, wheeler
one day, leader next. The driver a half caste,
generally looking more or less demoniacal in
voice and features, when, urging on his horses
already galloping freely, he stands up in the
swaying vehicle and plys his long whip with
fierce yells. The horses are arrayed in harness
that would make a London saddler stare, it
consists of breaststrap, instead of collar and
traces; it is much showier both in the team
driven the stage into and out of any town.
The travellers, one sits on either side pf the
driver in a sort of pill box much too small for
them, the driver's box is raised six inches or
so, the people on the back-seat, two or three
in number, all perched on the top of the mail-
bags; they cling with desperate energy but
feel utterly helpless and at the mercy of their
driver. The pace is a good gallop at all times.
Arrived at Howick, we lunched and then
strolled out to see the waterfall of the Um-
gemi river, which is certainly a grand spectacle,
the water plunges some 350 feet sheer down

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into a pool below, a dense spray rises to a
considerable height from the pool and rare and
beautiful ferns clothe the sides of the chasm ;
on this occasion the volume of water was not
large. The ford is just above the fall, and
instances of whole waggons and teams being
washed over are told.

Towards night we reached a hut by the
wayside, dignified by the name of hotel and
called Currie's Post, here we were to pass the
night. This we did in a double-bedded room,
the occupant of the other bed was a Dutch-
man, who said he had not been in bed for a
week, his snores presently proved his assertions.
Remonstrances were totally unavailing, light
cavalry in the shape of boots and brushes were
equally ineffectual, heavy dragoons in the form
of a carpet bag also useless. At last we had
to drag our aching frame,' black and blue from
the jolting, across the room, shaking and
severer measures failed to in any way disturb
him, and finding it utterly useless had to leave
him to sleep the sleep of the just.

At six we again started and breakfasted,
after some few miles, at Weston or Mooi river ;

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we reached Estcourt at three. The road in
places is simply fearful, a hill side near Kark-
loof especially bad. One shuddered as the
thought of the dreadful suflFerings of the
wounded flashed across you. Their agony as
they had to pass over any road in Natal must
have been awful. They are totally at the
mercy of the drivers of ambulances, mostly
some cold blooded Hottentot, and in spite of
€very exertion the doctors or the men of the
Army Hospital Corps can make, they must feel
the roads terribly.

At Estcourt we found our detachment en-
camped, and directly afterwards several hun-
dred horses passed through on their way from
the Orange River Free State, where they were
bought, to Maritzburg. We promptly acted
on our authority from the Eemount Com-
mittee, and mounted the detachment. The
mode of selection was primitive in the ex-
treme ; the horses were driven into a stone
enclosure, called a kraal, every man then went
in with a halter and from the plunging and
kicking mass selected what suited himself.
The result being with men who did not know

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about horses absurd, some large men got small
horses and vice versa ; this was soon rectified.
The knowing ones got ponies as a rule, short,
wiry, and thick little brutes that could wear
down any big horse by sheer dint of superior
powers of endurance. The best colour to take
was bay or brqwn, as grey horses aflford a
much better target than either of these two
colours. The next few days were most fear-
ftdly busy, and what with getting men's
names, list of stores, getting men's regimental
numbers and making them undergo a thorough
medical inspection, not much time was to
spare; then the horses had to be shod, branded,
hoof-marked and saddles fitted on. The men,
many of them knowing little about riding,
had to be taught; they learnt by dint of
falling ojff, and at last managed to stick on
well enough. The falls were many, as riders
were bad and horses young and untaught.
The men entered into their new duties with
all sailors' heartiness, and were very glad to
be at last mounted, as they had had a long
weary march from Durban up the dusty roads.
The events of the next fortnight would be

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needless to particularize. It would interest no
one to know the various duties performed and
the country passed over. We will merely say
that the whole of Natal, except the coast-belt,
is a succession of treeless terraced plateaux.
The towns, so called, consist of a church, two
public-houses, a police station, laager and a
couple of stores, where the prices charged were
more or less extortionate. At Colenso, where
there is a fine iron bridge, complete in all but
two arches, over the Tugela, we had the mis-
fortune to camp on bad ground; a fearftd
thunderstorm came on, and we did not awake
until a small but lively river began to trickle
down our back ; on lighting a candle the sight
that met our eyes did not cheer us; our
clothes were wet through, provisions ditto,
ourselves as bad : we had eventually to collect
and make a pile of everything and sat till
morning on the table, a gruesome spectacle.

At Newcastle, Sir Bartle Frere, passing us
on his way to Pretoria, addressed the men,
wishing them, in answer to their hearty cheers,
every success. The High Commissioner him-
self travelled in a rough mule waggon, and it

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was not saying a little for his zeal and deter-
mination when he took such a long journey,
with a possibility of maltreatment at the
hands of the Boers to crown all. A few days
pre^ously we had passed Sir Theophilus Shep-
stone sitting in a like conveyance, eating his
frugal dinner while the mules grazed around,
and contemplating a fearful hill he had to
ascend with the most disconsolate looks.

Next Utrecht, in the Transvaal, was reached,
all the inhabitants were in laager here every
night, and a complete panic prevailed among
the towns-people. The laager was garrisoned
by the 4th Bang's Own under Colonel Bray.
The first field hospital for Wood's column was
here.

In the proper sequence of events the actions at
Kambula and Zlobane should next be recorded.
As they have been so frequently described in
recent works they shall be briefly dismissed.
At this time Ekowe was in the act of being
relieved by Lord Chelmsford. For that pur-
pose he was to advance from the Tugela.
General Wood received orders to make a
diversion by attacking the Zlobane mountain.

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At that time he was encamped at Kambula
Kop, about twenty-three miles from the Zlo-
bane. This mountain was deemed to be impreg-
nable by the Zulus. It was a huge square
mountain, with rocky precipitous sides with a
flat top some four or five miles long, and of a
good breadth. There was only one way up
which was hard and difficult, and at the other
end there was a way down, but it was well-nigh
impracticable. Possibly there may have been
unknown cattle paths down its side. Colonel
Buller set out to attack this on the 27th of
March, with 400 mounted men from Kambula
and the posts round, and some native allies.
He reached after a long ride the foot of the
Zlobane about night fall, riding on after dark
and changing his position so as to avoid being
surprised in the night. The night was gloomy
and damp. At dawn the next morning every-
one was up and ready early. The Colonel was
no man for delay, and at once advanced. The
end of the mountain where the road up lies, was
the place selected for attack. Here the enemy
was in force. A round knoll rose at the foot
of, but detached from, the moimtain. The

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enemy lined the rocks of the mountain side.
Colonel Buller sent two troops to the top of
the mound or knoll. Under cover of their
fire the attack was delivered, the hill taken in
good form by the Irregulars, leading their
horses up the steep sides, and thus the hitherto
impregnable mountain was taken. It was so
far a very gallant affair. Arrived at the top
the men scattered and fired at their foes below
them in the rocks. Captain the Baron von
Steitenkvon was here shot as he was leaning
over the edge of the hill. It is well to cut a
painful story short. By a most extraordinary
chance the picked Zulu army was on its way
to attack Kambula. It heard the firing,
diverged, and was seen in the distance. His-
tory says, some mistake as to placing the
videttes took place, but not by any one under
Col. Buller's orders. However, that may be,
it is no use opening up old wounds. To
retreat down the road that the mountain was
ascended by was impossible. The only way
was to move along the top of the hiU, and
chance getting down at the other end. General
Wood who had been coming to see how the

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operations went on, had Captain the Hon.
I^onald Campbell, one of his staff, killed.
Captain Barton of the Coldstream Guards,
serving with the Irregulars, went to bury his
body with a small troop of the Frontier Light
Horse. Caught by the advancing wave of
Zulus, they were never again seen alive.
Colonel Weatherley was with the whole of his
corps, save seven men, killed. All his officers,
and his son, a boy of fifteen, fell by his side.
Piet Uys, the brave Dutch farmer fell, and
many more Irregulars, at various place. At the
end of the mountain the descent was fearful,
and the casualities great. The men led their
horses down as well as they could. The Zulus
who had retired into the rocks on the moun-
tains being stormed, now re-appeared, followed
plong the hill and closed up. The havoc was
dire, and save for the heroic efforts of Colonel
Buller would have been extermination. Six
lives he is known to have saved that day per-
sonally, how many more by his orders and
example, it would be impossible to tell.
Major Knox Leet of the 13th Lt. Infantry,
serving with some native allies, brought off

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Lieut. Smith of the Frontier Light Horse, on
a pack horse — ^his own was shot — and earned
the V.C. Some of the Light Horse kept in
some measure the advancing Zulus back, and
enabled the rear-guard to extricate themselves.
The mounted Infantry ought to have been
here to support the Irregulars, and keep down
the fire, while they descended the hilL How-
ever, orders were sent to them, and were either
ill delivered or misunderstood, for instead of
being in position on the neck leading down
from the Zlobane, they were on the Zinguin
neck The main body under Colonel Buller
having managed to extricate themselves from
the defile, leaving many dead behind, pursued
their way. The great army of the Zulus did
not come within shot of this body. However,
the two or three thousand of the enemy who
had occupied the Zlobane, and who had bfeen
beaten in the morning followed them, and for
liiiles the fight continued. Many officers and
men fell, Lieut. WiUiams and Potter of the
Kegulars, and it was late before the broken
Irregulars reached camp utterly crushed. The
<5nly bright spot to remember, is the heroic

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courage of Col. Buller, Major Rnox Leet,
Captain Cecil D'arcy of the Light Horse and
others. Capt. D'arcy received the V.C. at
Ulundi; but deserved it often at Zlobane.
The camp was found entrenched by General
Wood who surely foresaw the morrow's attack.
The butcher's bill was a heavy one that night,
and Adjutants' had difficulty in making it out.
The losses in horses was large, and the Cavalry
of Wood's column was for the time paralyzed.
Now for the bright side of the picture. Early
next morning General Wood received intelli-
gence from a native, that the Zulus had left
Zlobane and were marching to attack him.
Two companies who had gone to the neigh-
bouring hills wood-cutting were re-called, and
about noon came in. At the same time an im-
mense mass of Zulus were seen to emerge from
near the Zinguin neck, and advance steadily
towards Kambula. They come very steadily
on in regular formation. As they passed a
broad track was made through the long grass,
which was completely destroyed. Their num-
bers were estimated at 25,000 men. The
Basutos, who had stuck like leeches to the

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cattle on the Zlobane the day before and
brought them off safely, left the laager and
refused to stay. Through the, fight they
hovered round the flank of the Zulus firing
continually. The position at Kambula was at
the end of a long peninsula of a hill if we
may call it so. The fortifications were three
in number, and were at the three angles of
an equilateral triangle. The first which was
garrisoned by some of the 13th and 90th L.L,
was on the highest point, it was of earth faced
with stone. Here General Wood commanded.
Down a gentle slope was the laager, it was
formed of waggons placed in a square : sods
were placed round the waggons up to a level
of the axle trees, and again above on the top.
Two tiers of fire could thus be obtained. On
the side nearest the fort, the 90th and 13th
were, on the right more of the 90th, the third
side was held by Irregulars, and the fourth by
the 1 3th and 90th again. This laager contained
all the horses, and the hospital. The horses
were attached to picket lines. The last defence
was likewise a laager, but contained the trans-
port oxen. It was much smaller, and held by

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one company of the IStli. Between the fort, as
the little round stone entrenchment was called,
and the laager, the guns were placed, four in
number. Two more were close to the fort, they
were mountain guns, one got disabled early
in the fight. On the right the ground rose
abruptly from the plain below. To the front
it was level on the plateau at the hill top.
On the kft just under the cattle laager there
was a krantz or precipice, on the rear the
ground sloped gradually.

Some mounted troops sallied out to draw on
the enemy. General Wood wished to irritate
the Zulus into attacking on one side before the
other, in other words to beat them: in detail. It
succeeded. After exchanging shots the mounted
troops retired to the laager. Lieut. Browne of
the 24th, serving with mounted Infantry earned
a V.C. by rescuing a man whose horse was shot.
The right side was attacked about one by the
enemy, who were received with such a tre-
mendous volley by the 90th that they never
again attacked that face. They had more
cover on all the other sides, and availed them-
selves of it. The fighting was now fast and

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furious, attacks being delivered time after time
by the enemy, who advanced with the greatest
gallantry. They were very badly off for pro-
visions, and actually ate some provisions of
the Irregulars under a hot fire. The tents
had of course been struck, but as some of the
men had been getting their dinner when the
alarm sounded, some of the provisions were
outside. The enemy took advantage of any
cover there was about, to annoy by a hot fire.
They then used to gather and make a gallant
rush. Availing themselves of the precipice
under the cattle laager, they took that position
and the garrison had to retire to the other.
Two companies of the 90th tried to retake
under Major Hackett, they, however, had to
retreat with their leader most fearfully
wounded. About half-past four some of the
13th, and some Irregular Volunteers under
Raaf, left the horse laager, and advanced to
the edge of the precipice by Col. Buller's
order. They took the Zulus in the Bank and
firing down the precipice killed numbers tiU
forced to retire. Colonel Buller commanded
in the laager. The artillery was fought well

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and was in the open between the laager and
the fort. The greatest loss came from some
rocks some 1200 yards off, from whence the
enemy kept up a galling fire. Two men were
especially good shots, brothers they were said
to be when found dead afterwards with a pile
of empty cartridges beside them. The great
question now was, would ammunition hold out>
the attack had been so desperate and pro-
longed, that it was for hours a toss up who
would win. It showed no falling off as yet.
It was lucky two such exceptional regiments
as the 13th and 90th were engaged. The
result even in the hands of General Wood,
might have been different, had two boy
regiments been engaged. Towards five a
shiver seemed to run through the enemy, and
all in a moment they broke and fled. Um-
beline had led them gallantly the whole day,
rumour said he was now wounded. The
broken relics of the Irregular horse now
sallied out in pursuit. The horses were so
thoroughly done up by the fatigues of the
previous day, that the pursuit was not so
ruinous as it would otherwise have been.

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Nevertheless under the vigorous direction of
Colonel Buller, it was well sustained till night-
fall. The enemy were so exhausted that they
made no fight of it, but were shot down.
However they had sent away all the Zlobane
cattle which they had re-captured early in the
fight. Night fell on the scattered fugitives
and saved them. The Irregulars returned.
In this battle the Zulus lost at least 2500 men.
It was by far the hardest of the war, and
coming as it did on two defeats, Isandula and
Zlobane, raised the spirits of the soldiers
enormously. From that hour General Wood
and Colonel Buller possessed in even a greater
degree, the unbounded confidence of their
troops. That battle saved the Transvaal frona
a Zulu invasion. If it had been lost the Boers
would have been annihilated.

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CHAPTER V.

/\UR next duty was to convey the wounded
^ from Kambula down to the nearest hos-
pital at Utrecht; a most tedious and at the
same time truly fearful task The roads, or
rather tracks, were terribly rough and full of
holes, the ambulances very carelessly driven, in
spite of the eflforts of the doctors. With the
first convoy a halt had to be made on the banks,
of the Blood River, which was in high flood.
The Blood River divides the Transvaal and
Zululand, it is so called from a battle between
the Boers and Zulus when the river ran blood
from the quantity of slain. The flood was so
high waggons could not cross, ambulances had
to be sent for from Balte Spruit on the op-
posite side ; they arrived at ten p.m., a light
span bridge was thrown across the river by a

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company of the 13tli regiment, and the camp
entrenched for the night. A most miserable
night was then passed by the Irregulars who
had crossed to the opposite bank, the swamp
was four inches deep in water, mosquitoes
aggressive in the extreme — ^the only way to rest
was to lean against the waggon wheel. Towards
day the bridge, which had been broken by
the force of the cmrrent during the night, was
repaired. The sick and wounded were trans-
ferred across the stream, they then had to be
carried through the worst part of the swamp
to the waggons some quarter of a mile off.
The waggons could not get nearer, the ground
being too soft. The sufferings of the wounded
must have been extreme, as they were carried
in dhoolys over the rough ground and through
deep pools. It was curious to observe the
difference in men, thus equally suffering ;
some never uttered a sound; others groaned
most horribly; some only expressed fierce
anxiety to be getting on ; others were sunk in
profound apathy and seemed utterly indif-
ferent to all around them.

As we proceeded, we often had to halt to

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administer brandy to some poor fellows wlio
were sinking, and once or twice to find that
some of the number had breathed his last, in
spite of all the care that under such circum-
stances could be given to them. One in
particular I remember, a poor old soldier of
twenty-eight years' service, he had been
wounded at Kambula and had sank under the
awful sufiferings incidental to such a journey.
At last we reached Balte Spruit, and were glad
to get rest, having been twenty-four hours
without food. The next day we escorted the
wounded a few miles on the road to Utrecht,
and were met by a fresh escort to whom we
handed them over.

A day or two later we joined Wood's column
at Kambula, having escorted ammunition to
replace that expended in the fight of the 29th.
Our next duty was a patrol to Luneberg in
.the Transvaal to convey despatches ; this was
an entirely new part of the country to us. It
was a long barren ride, having been raided
through repeatedly by the enemy under
Umbeline, a savage chief of free-booters.
Near here Moriarty's party of the 80th had

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been cut off on the Intombi River, a tributary
of the Pongola, Luneberg itself is inhabitated
principally by German settlers, it is built
round a mission station. ;It has the usual
stores and a Lutheran church. We were most
hospitably received by the small garrison, who
were most anxious for the news of the fights
of the 28th and 29th of March. We were
quartered for the night in the Lutheran church ;
tired out with our long ride we selected each
the most comfortable of the pews and fell
asleep, nor was it till roused by the voices
of the congregation singing Luther's morning
hymn that we awoke. The people, with true
German kindliness, knowing how tired we
were, had let us sleep on. At first we did not
know where we were and rubbed our eyes in
surprise, affording a most edifying spectacle.
It was really ludicrous to see the troopers who
slept some distance down gradually awakening,
whilst red nightcaps began to bob up one by
one over the level of the pews. The expres-
sion of their faces were various and amusing
as the hymn pealed out all around them ; one,
in particular, making frantic exertions to

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conceal a goose he had killed a mile or two
outside the town on the previous day, and
which he feared some thrifty housewife would
recognise, looked particularly sheepish. We
returned hy way of Utrecht and reached
Kambula withput further adventure.

The next few days passed without special
incident. The detachment of our corps at
Kambula amounted to 170 men with some
150 horses, but the greater portion were
completely done up with constant patrols and
the retreat from Zlobane. Our duties con-
sisted of the usual regimental guards, cattle-
guards, vedettes, night pickets, patrols, but the
worst duty of all was the wood-fatigue. The
nearest wood was some six miles off on the
summit of a mountain. We had to go every
day with the Infantry, to cut and carry it. It
grew among huge rocks, and it was hard work
to keep the men at their various duties, some
throwing down, others carrying, some cutting
and carrying it to the waggons some quarter
of a mile off, more again loading it up. The
huge rocks gave the men excellent oppor-
tunities of skulking, of which they often

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availed themselves ; it required all your
energies to keep them at their work. The
Captain of Infantry who commanded the united
party had orders to report any officer, sitting
down even, to General Wood; and however
much the General was liked, no one desired
a personal interview with him when he had to
speak about a neglect of duty. The wood
was principally used in the bakery which
was always kept going. The daily ration
of wood per man was only three pounds,
which was afterwards reduced to one pound,
this to cook everything but bread ; the men,
however, managed to make out with cow-
dung, which they collected, dried, and used as
fuel.

On the 16th of April, while escorting
waggons to Balte Spruit, a survivor of
Zlobane was discovered, a trooper, Grandier of
Weatherley's Border Horse; he had been
captured on the 28th of March and taken to
Ulundi, as he said, though it must have been
some other Kraal as his description did not
tally with that of Ulundi. He had been sent
back to Umbeline's people for torture, but

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had managed to kiU one of his guards, the
other running away. Grandier was in a fear^
ful state when found, naked, thin, and ahnost
dying of exhaustion. He said that a day or
two before the whole Zulu Army had passed
within a short distance on their return march
to the Royal KraaL They had evidently re-
cruited at Zlobane after their defeat. He was
promptly cared for, Umbeline had been shot
some few days previous by the hand of Captain
Prior of the 80th regiment, after a long chase .
of some twelve miles; Umbeline who was
certainly one of the most dashing of aU the
Zulu generals, was a Swazi by birth ; he was
the very man to carry out those guerilla
tactics that the Zulus ought to have relied on
for success.

The kits of the officers who fell at Zlobane
and Kambula were sold about this time, the
prices realised were enormous — tins of pre-
served meat which are sold at home for one
shilling, here realized six shillings, matches as
high in price as ninepence per box. Cigars
and tobacco made fabulous prices, indeed
one was almost tempted to think how much

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our individual kits would have made. It was
almost worth while being shot just to try.

We went down on escort to Utrecht for a
day, and there saw and interviewed Oham, a
brother of Ketchwayo who had surrendered
some time before, and the fetching away of
whom from the heart of the Zulu country had
been one of the most brilliant feats of the
whole war. It was carried out under the
direction of Colonel BuUer ; Oham and several
attendants and wives were brought out by a
bold dash. An absurd scene occurred crossing
one of the rivers, two of Oham's wives were or
pretended to be afraid of the water, two troop-
ers were therefore told off to take the ladies on
their backs and swim over ; one finding her
cavalier rather knocking up in the transit,
quickly dived off and swam like a duck to the
shore, immediately the other followed suit and
both reached the bank leaving their beareus
struggling in the stream, to be received oa
gaining the bank by the unmerciful laughter
of their comrades. To add insult to injury the
fsix ladies addressed them in Zulu, which the
interpreter translated to be **HiBi no good,'*

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a salutation which did not check the laughter.
Poor ladies, they were not treated very chival-
rously, for on Oham being driven in General
Wood's trap to Utrecht, he complained very
much of an iron rail that ran round the seat,
so two ladies were put up and used as cushions,
their lord sitting in their lap, no light infliction
for them as he weighed some twenty honest
stone. The way Oham used to knock about
his attendants gave one some sort of idea how
absolute the Zulu king and chiefs must be ; for
the slightest offence the unhappy servant got
a bang with a knob-kerrie on the head that
bowled him over like a ninepin. Apropos of
Oham, an oflScer who shared a tent with two
others was shot or died of fever at Ekowe,
among his things was a tinned ham, the two
other officers who messed with him having
frugal minds resolved, as prices were fearfully
high, to sell the ham. It realized forty-five
shillings which went to the mess account of
the three. The heliograph that afternoon
flashed the news to Ekowe that Oham had sur-
rendered ; one of the two survivors burst into
his tent where his comrade slept with the news.

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His comrade enjo3dng his afternoon siesta only
caught the word Oham, and something about
being taken. " What," said he, " another ham,
how jolly ! " regret for his dead comrade
struggling against his joy at the supposed dis-
covery of another treasure. We fancy Oham
had an idea that he would be made by us King
of Zululand after his brother was dethroned.

On the 20th of April, at Kambula, we
found the sun's meridian altitude to be 50**
58' 30^ latitude 27' 32' 12", but on the 21st
found the latitude to be 1T 37'.

On the 22nd we left General Wood's colmnn
to join our Commandant at Balte Spruit, our
regiment, or corps, being allowed time to get
into some shape now the various detachments
were finally joined. Our strength was then
some 260 men and 240 horses.

On the 23rd the men were edified by the
sight of a punishment parade, two regulars
were flogged; this gave them food for most
wholesome reflection.

On the 29th we went wood-cutting, with a
party of the 80th, to Domberg, some twelve
miles from Balte Spruit; the Domberg Hill

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was full of game, deer and guinea-fowl^ with a
few hares ; on our return we shot a splendid
water-buck.

At Balte Spruit we were kept constantly on
the alert, with incessant patrols, the officer
commanding the station being fearfully vigil-
ant. He had one special bugbear in an
inoffensive-looking knoll called Bambas Kop,
some seven miles off; this seemed to require
looking to at all hours of the day ; during the
three weeks we were at Bambas Kop, the most
vigilant search failed to discover anything
larger than an ant on it at any time.

On the 30th of April we had a small
skirmish with some forty Zulus. Our party
consisted of myself and white orderly with
seven Basutos. We were reconnoitring some
six miles over the Zulu border, and were
suddenly fired on; the -Basutos loosed off in
all directions wildly, they were so excited.
The scene was characteristic, the Zulus shout-
ing challenges to the Basutos to come up the
hill, the Basutos challenging the Zulus to come
down ; both parties fired at random, and the
only damage done was a broken rifle-stock.

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wliich a huge bullet from an elephant-gun had
shivered. The Basutos used to level their
guns over their horses' heads with one hand
and fire wildly ; they are nevertheless capital
Irregulars, the best scouts in the world, hardy,
active, and enduring, their only faults are
their excitability and their random shooting.
Colonel Eedvers Buller coming up an hour
later saw the Zulus, but they retreated along
the rocky range of hills ; a large magazine of
grain was burnt.

The scenery in this part of Zululand is much
the same as in Natal, the same rolling plateaux
broken by hills, rugged and stony, with table-
tops ; no trees are to be seen except just under
the summit of a hill, the sort of tree is called
by the soldiers cabbage-tree wood, the leaf is
like a cabbage-leaf, and the wood like that of
an elder-tree ; it is wet and full of pith.

When we could get leave, which was but
seldom, the banks of the Blood Eiver were
searched for game, and we got duck, snipe,
partridge, quail, and Cape pheasant ; tolerably
thickly on the plains were pauw, a bird as
large as a turkey, and very good eating.

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Domberg gave pea-fowl, guinea-fowl and hare.
The Blood River was fiill of fish, barbel, or
something like them, I believe the real name
is siluroid. Once we got a bigger fish in the
Blood River, to wit, a man who had been
drowned while crossing on horseback in a
flood; he had some £200 in gold and notes
in his pockets, which he had won at cards
fipom his comrades ; he was buried on the bank
then and there.

On the 5th of May we first saw the Prince
Imperial, a day or two later we were on a
three days' patrol with him; the force was
300 strong, under Colonel Buller, and was one
of the usual patrols which he so often made,
indeed, no sooner was he back from one patrol
of three days, than he was off on another of
the same length. At Balte Spruit the Prince
asked for the Frenchmen of the Regiment,
with these he shook hands and chatted, giving
them sovereigns; two of the men taking a
matter-of-fact view of the business, came and
offered a sovereign for a bottle of brandy.
We gave them two other sovereigns in ex-
change for their two ; I am sorry to say we

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gave them some brandy also, though I believe
we laid ourselves open to a severe punish-
ment ; we little thought at the time how soon
we should prize these as relics.

The Prince's passion for information was
boundless, and the questions he used to put
searching in the extreme. For instance, he
would ask, " How many biscuits in a bag ? " of
course, the unhappy commissariat oflScer thus
tackled broke down ; the next question would
be, " How many in a barrel ? " then : " Are
there more in a barrel than a bag ? " to all the
answer would be the same ; the Prince would
then remark, "Great want of organization,"
and down would go the whole thing in his
note-book. Then perhaps he might begin to
query about the different qualities of the grass
around him, and soon knew the difference be-
tween sweet and sour veldt, what animals
would do best on the former and what on the
latter.

We again joined the Column at Wolff's Hill,
and got our first coal fatigues, the manner of
mining would make a Northumberland miner
stare in surprise. The coal lay in a regular

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strata through a hill, the cutting was just
made like a quarry ; the men who used to get
it were mostly Cornish miners of the 13th and
90th Kegiments ; as extra pay they got one
shilling additional per diem, but as the damage
done to their clothes was considerable, I don't
think they profited much.

Meridian altitude on the 9th of May was
44° 54', and latitude was 27' 46'. Wolff's
Hill lay on the south side of the Umvelosi
Eiver, some three miles off, and was some
eight miles off Kambula on the northern bank.

On the 12th of May the corps got sixty new
horses froin the Remount Committee, which
made up the strength to the full number.
Our Adjutant, Captain Whalley, left us here,
to our great regret, to take command of a
separate corps. On the 14th of May another
patrol came off, but no considerable body of
the enemy were seen, the chief good done was
the survey of the existing road or track to
Ulundi, and the discovery of another new one.
On the 15th of May the Headquarters of the
corps left Belte Spruit for Wolffs Hill, halting
one night on the banks of the Blood Eiver,

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where the 94th were stationed, with some
artillery, Bettington's Horse and Native Horse,
the whole in laager — Colonel Davies, of the
Grenadier Guards, in command. On the 18th
another three days' patrol went to verify pre-
vious observations made as to the route. The
men left were employed in guards, fatigues,
escorts and coal-cutting. About this time the
bodies of Lieutenant Williams, 58th, and
Lieutenant Potter were buried, they were
among the slain at Zlobane, the patrol was
commanded by General Wood himself, and the
bodies were found under the Zunguin neck.

Lord William Beresford, 9th Lancers, joined
here as staflF officer to Colonel Buller ; he had
got six months leave from India, which he was
using in Africa, he had been at the capture of
Ali Musjid in Afghanistan. The duties of a
staff officer must have been very heavy here,
having to deal with the rough men of the
Irregular Horse, and to take the records of
adjutants more or less incompetent and unfit
for their work ; however, the duties of staff
officer were done well enough, even to please a
man like the Colonel, who required all things

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done thoroughly well. In all things CJolonel
Buller was the same, and nothing better de-
scribes him than "Thorough". The KaflSrs
and Zulus called him the " Steam Engine," or
rather their equivalent for it. This was from
his ubiquity, and, indeed, he was truly ubiqui-
tous. One morning in the gray mist stealing
up some mountain side at the break of day,
bursting suddenly on cattle kraals, and cap-
turing and carrying off their inmates in face
of a force more numerous by far than his own
little band. Another time he would do some
dashing act, like the burning of the Magulosine
military kraal, an exploit hardly heard of at
home; with a small force of 120 men the
Colonel burnt a large kraal in face of an enemy
seven times as numerous, to add to the diffi-
culty it was situated in extremely rugged
ground ; his opponents were a regular drilled
regiment, but he brought off his force without
any loss of life. He was stem and unbending
to all around him, but no one could help both
liking and admiring one who practised what
he preached. He never flinched from hard
work, and looked ever after the safety of the

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Column with his scouts. It was a sight to
see him standing on some eminence, such as an
ant-heap, in the hottest fire, calmly looking
through his telescope ; cool and self-reliant, he
always waited for his chance, when it came, no
one took advantage of it quicker or used it
with such eflfect.

The da/s duties were as follows as a rule.
The camp reveille sounded at five a.m., every
one turned out, and fell in with carbines, the
roll was called, they then stood to arms till
disperse sounded. Then came stables and
feeding ; the grain ration per horse was five
pounds weight, given in two feeds of two and
a half pounds each at six a.m. and five p.m. ;
when more grain could be got a feed was given
at eight p.m., most men could make up that
feed from the grain foraged. The men then
dispersed for breakfast, after which the horses
were let out under the guard. At ten a.m.
the defaulters and prisoners came up for punish-
ment, which were either fines or extra guards.
At eleven a.m. came drill or carbine inspection.
At twelve dinner came. The various fatigues
had then to be got through. At five the

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horses came in and were groomed and fed^ at a
quarter to six an alarm bugle went and the
men got into their places, and so accustomed
were they to this that in the darkest night
they knew their appointed place. In the mean-
time the adjutant had got the next day's orders
from the staflF officer who had received them at
Head-quarters' tent, submitted them to Colonel
Buller and by him been distributed. The
mounted corps orders were then read with the
regimental to the men. These orders went
through three stages, and were first Head-
quarters orders, then Mounted Corps orders
and lastly Regimental orders. They went
through many various hands before being read,
but the whole process only took an hour. The
Eegimental orders told oflF corps or troops, the
duties for next day, and position of troops.

The duties on the marching days were vari-
ous, reveille went at quarter past four as a rule,
breakfast (after feeding horses) at five, tents,
kits, and stores on waggons and inarch Skt
quarter past six. Two hours of hard work for
all hands. One troop might be in advance of
column, another reserve, a third rearguard

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The post most coveted was the advance guard,
which moved off at five a.m., scouting the
country round ; if anything was seen, intelli-
gence was at once sent to the general com-
manding column and to Colonel Buller. It
was seldom, however, that the Colonel was
anywhere but in advance, for even after the
column had got to its resting place, which it
usually did at three p.m.. Colonel Buller would
go with a small patrol and search a radius of
seven miles round the caanp, not returning till
seven at night often. Only one meal a day
could be taken, dinner in the evening, break-
fast used to be snatched while moving about
in the morning in some sort of way. The food
was always the same, the same eternal beef-
steak, tough as a boot-sole ; how our poor
teeth suffered. We never realized the old
Eton epithet of " tugmutton " before we took
a piece of trek ox between our jaws which re-
coiled from the shock. Our cooks had no in-
ventive powers, so it was beefsteak ever and
ever, even putting it through a sausage ma-
chine did not soften it (me whit, the only
result was the flinty pieces chipped off wer^

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smaller in dimension. The vegetables were
sometimes given out in the shape of " com-
pressed vegetable," but the men often used
these instead of tobacco, smoking them. For
ourselves, though the great tobacco question
came often home to us, we never were so
utterly reduced as this. The tobacco of the
country made by the Boers, and called Boer
tobacco, is vile at first, but one gets really to
like it after a time. A piece of Zulu tobacco
picked up in a kraal, tided us over the worst ;
it was as all the Zulu tobacco is, of excellent
flavour and quality, though rather dry. The
Zulus themselves use it for snuff, smoking a
plant called Docker, resembling our wild carrot,
it is of a strong and pungent flavour and
rapidly stupefies the user ; their pipes are
made of a cow's horn with a reed stem, they are
fond of blowing the smoke through the water,
this they do by means of another reed. They
sneeze and the eyes water violently as they
suck in the strong smoke. They also pound
the tobacco and make snuff ; when taking snuff
they sit down invariably and take huge pinches
solemnly.

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The tea and coffee served out to the men
was most excellent in quality and abundant in
quantity, sugar very fair : we soon learnt to
take our tea without milk.

The worst of the meat was, it had been only
an hour or two killed before served out to the
men ; the result was dysentery. The man who
invented any mode of making beef tender de-
served a medal. One thing we always got was
bread, to this we. are indebted to Sir Evelyn
Wood, who always made arrangements for the
bakery himself, and insisted on its being con-
tinually at work. He used to make arrange-
ments for its transit himself, and the moment
we reached camp it was at work ; it was going
all night, and till the last moment before the
start.

On the 24th May, the Queen's birthday,
a ration of rum was served to the men,
(the soldiers called it Dabulamanzi — "twice
watered"), it was Natal rum, however, and
much diluted. On the 25th May, we left
Wolff's Hill on our forward march ; on the way
we had an alarm to see how long the waggons
would be getting packed into laager. It was,

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as a trial, a complete success, two laagers were
formed in an incredibly short time, the Irregu-
lars scoured the country round, infantry skir-
mishers were advanced, and aQ things done as
if a real attack was intended.

We camped at Mundhla Hill, the advance
saw a few Zulus. A new draft of horses firom
the Kemount Committee here reached us,' and
some of our used up ones left for the Govern-
ment Farm to recruit. On the 31st May one
man was lost through his own carelessness, he
was on cattle guard, and left his post to get
wood and was never seen again.

On the first of June, our column moved for-
ward to join Newdigate, like ourselves, con-
verging on the Itylezi River. Newdigate's
column had been collected at Conference Hill
and Domberg. It consisted oi the 17th
Lancers, the 1st Dragoon Guards, the 21st
Eoyal Scots Fusiliers, 24th (1st and 2nd bat-
talions), the 58th and the 94th Regiments.
Only two of the regiments, the 1st and 2-24th,
were the first invaders of the Zulu territory,
all the others were reinforcements. Besides
the regulars were Bettington's Horse and

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Shepstone's Basutos, with some Native Irre-
gulars. The Imperial cavalry filled the
Colonists with wonder, the size of the horses
and equipments of the men, being the two chief
attractions. The question here asked most
frequently was, would the English horses stand
the same amount of work as our handy little
beasts on the same amount of grain. The
regiments looked but poorly by our column,
the majority of the troops were but boys ; our
two regiments were bearded men, the 13th,
who had been in the Transvaal since the
Annexation, and who had been through Seco-
coeni's war in particular. The 90th Light
Infantry had also taken part in the old Colony
war, and was a comparatively old regiment.

Of course, it -took, as ever, some time for
officers and men to get used to the country,
and the freaks were absurd in some cases.

An officer of the Eegiment, on arrival at

the Buffalo Eiver, at once jumped to the con*
elusion that there were herds of buffalo round.
He immediately asked his Colonel for leave,
and went out with an express to stalk; he
was much disappointed to find but one buffalo,

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which, after a patient stalk, he shot. It
needed the chaflF of his comrades, and the
assurances of the conductor to make him
realize that he had shot a sick trek ox. The
huge horns of the Cape ox look quite different
to ordinary cattle, and gave some colour to
the mistake. The narration of facts that came
imder the observation of the writer, with
reference to the death of the Prince Imperial,
will follow.

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CHAPTER VL

TXTHEN, at the end of March, 1879, the
^^ telegram flashed from Cape Town, an-
nounced to the people of Natal that Prince
Louis Napoleon had arrived in one of the
transports, the "Danube," great was the ex-
citement felt. Intelligence had been received
at Cape Town of his coming only a short time
before his ship arrived, and Lady Frere at
Government House had made every prepara-
tion for his reception. But his stay was a
short and hurried one, for he arrived late one
day and left the next. Lady Frere received
him on the footing of a distinguished foreigner
travelling, and at once sent out invitations for
a reception at Government House, which took
place on the same evening.

The Prince arrived at Durban on the 31st

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of March, that is two days after Kambula had
been fought. His voyage out had been a
pleasant and merry one. On board, besides
himself, there were many other " unattached "
people who were coming out to seek for glory
and excitement in the Zulu war. There were
militia men, retired army men, and one or two
staff officers who had been permitted to come
out and find employment. These men, who
were then and afterwards chaffingly known by
the name of " desperadoes," were so numerous
that one day on board they formed themselves
into a regular parade, the Prince inspecting
them, and very amusing, was the muster, the
most mild-and-obese-looking appearing in the
most warlike dress and hung round with the
most bloodthirsty weapons. The Prince
Imperial was met at Durban by some staff
officers then at the base. As far as the work
inseparable to those busy times at the base of
operations permitted, every attention was
shown him by the officers in command there.
The day after his arrival a mounted orderly
was placed at his disposal by Major Huskisson,
commandant at the base, accompanied by

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whom, lie rode about the town and visited the
different offices.

Lord Chelmsford himself was then advancing
to the relief of Ekowe, and Colonel Bellairs,
D.A.G.,.was the senior officer at Durban.

The Prince became the guest of Captain and
Mrs. Baynton. Captain Baynton is the agent
of the " Union Line ". This most kind couple,
whose hospitality to every officer resident at
Durban was unbounded, occupied Government
House, a large residence, and there the Prince
was made, and felt quite at home during his
stay at Durban.

He was iirst attached to Major Le Grice's
battery of artillery, which was encamped at
Cato's Manor, some two or three miles from
the town. There they made themselves very
comfortable, one of the large Indian tents
which had been sent from Ceylon with the
57th Regiment, making a capital officers' mess
tent. The Prince himself was still often seen
at Mrs. Baynton's, and at the Natal club.

A personal acquaintance with him only
increased the interest which naturally attached
to his peculiar position. He was a most bright

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and engaging gentleman, and full of life and
vitality. He not only took a keen interest in
the Zulu war, but conversed upon and criti-
cized our movements with much quickness,
combined with judgment. There was a great
freshness and gaiety de coeur about him, and
even in some remarks he evinced a boyishness,
not perhaps often found now-a-days in one of
his age. He showed no great content with
his position in the Artillery, remarking in con-
versation that the Artillery was from its very
nature unsatisfactory to serve with, as it gave
no opportunity for a close personal contact
with the enemy. Certainly to achieve per-
sonal distinction was the great object he had
placed before himself. When at Durban he
received a most courteous message of welcome
from His Excellency Sir Bartle Frere, who
was then in the Transvaal. On the 9th of
April, Lord Chelmsford arrived from Ekowe,
after his victory at Gingelhovo. The day
after he gave the Prince Imperial a position as
extra A.D.C. on his staff. The dehght of
Prince Louis on receiving it was immense.
Whilst at Durban the Prince suffered a good

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deal from the fever of the place, and thus
again had to take refuge in the house of Mrs.
Baynton, where indeed he left his major-domo
when he finally departed for the front to join
the head-quarter staflf. At Durban one of his
horses died. At Pietermaritzburg he was
again laid up. He left the place towards the
end of April and proceeded up country, stop-
ping one night at Ladysmith, where he was
entertained by the resident magistrate, Mr.
Moodie.^'

It appears that when he reached the head-
quarter staff, he became tired of the rather
inactive life that an extra A.D.C. would have
to lead while head-quarters were halting in
camp, and that, therefore, yielding to his
urgent wishes, Lord Chelmsford attached him to
the department of the quarter-master-general.
Here those opportunities of a closer acquaint-
ance with the enemy were eagerly seized on
and much appreciated by him. He was ever

* The Prince at Ladysmitli stayed at the Eoyal Hotel.
• The landlord was so charmed with his generosity that he
declared his intention of naming his house " The Prince
Imperial ".

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foremost in the forays and reconnaissances in
which, to his delight, he was able to take part;
and it began to be felt, that, unless he was
more cautious, his life would certainly be at
some time or other very much endangered,
beyond even the ordinary risks attending such
a warfare.

One day when out oil a reconnaissance with
Captain Bettington (a brave and experienced
officer) they were fired on from a kraal At
once drawing his sword the Prince dashed
forward, crying " Come along Bettington, come
along Bettington," and it was all that officer
could do to repress his inexperienced ardour.
On another occasion, when on a three days'
patrol with Colonel Buller and the mounted
corps of the flying column, some Zulus were
seen on the top of a hill. The advance was
ordered to feel their strength, the Prince was
dashing forward and trying to head the charge
when he was at once recalled and kept in
check by the officer in command of the
advance, thus going with, instead of before, as
he had intended. The Zulus had, however,
decamped before they could be got at, the

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ground was too rough for pursuit, and but a
few shots were sent after them.

These two instances serve to show how
eager and even rash he became in the presence
of the enemy. The news of the death of the
Prince fell like a thunderbolt on all ; at first it
was regarded as one of those reports that so
often went the rounds. Bit by bit, however,
it assumed a form: first, one heard how
Colonel Wood and Buller with their escort had
met the flying party, then the particulars were
heard as to the strength of the party with the
Prince, and lastly the number of killed leaked
out. Even then people were incredulous, only
half believing the dreadful tale. The two
questions first asked were, what will they say
at home? and secondly — ^the poor Empress.
AU was the wildest excitement, brave men
absolutely broke down under the blow. To
them it looked a black and bitter disgrace.
The chivabous young Prince repa3dng the hos-
pitality shown him by England, with his
sword — entrusted to us by a widowed mother
— ^to have been killed on a mere paltry recon-
naissance — to have fallen without all his escort

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being first killed 1 — ^to lie there dead and —
alone! Many there were who would have
given up life to have been lying dead with
him, so that our English honour might have
been kept sacred. This was not to be, how-
ever ; destiny, a power which has made itself
so mysteriously felt in the history of his House
had willed it otherwise.

Still the fact was borne in mind that none
had seen the body, that none had seen a death-
blow struck, so there might be hope, however
great were the grounds for despair. Those
who knew the proud high spirit of the Prince,
knew what must have occurred; they felt
that, no matter what were the odds against
him, he would go down with his face to the
foe, and selling his life dearly.

There was little sleep in camp that night,
and long after "Kghts out" went, men w^ere
grouped together talking of the disaster. It
was said how in after years, when the whole
of the Zulu War would be written in a line of
history, when to all but the student it would
be a forgotten episode, this would still be re-
membered. Then it was said how foreigners

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could taunt us on our care of the young knight
who had put himself into our hands. All that
night the body of the dead Prince lay alone
under the dew and frost of an African moon.
In the earliest daylight the strong advance
guard went out to seek for the remains. A
long ride over rough ground, brought us to a
sort of pass in the rocky range of small hills
that lay around a large plain. Keeping along
the slope of these we rode on, having all the
time the kraal in sight where the tragedy had
. been enacted. At last we came to it : — where
from the rugged tops of the small hills the land
sweeps gently down to the Itylezi Eiver, the
kraal stands ; it is of moderate size, and with
the usual stone wall encircling the cattle en-
closure which is in its midst. It is surrounded
on all sides by mealie fields, and with between
these there grows the long coarse grass of the
country, some three or four feet in height.
The kraals are cut ofi' on the southern side by
these same rugged hills, on the east by the
Itylezi River, lying some few hundred yards
off. It is a treacherous river, full of quicksands.
On the north, at a distance of three hundred

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yards, there is a deep gorge, or "donga,"
whilst on the west there are some smaller
dongas. In fact, the whole place was like a
trap. Once across the deep donga there is a
good galloping gromid, with short grass, where
mounted men would run no danger of being
surrounded.

The Prince with his party seem, after having
«,rrived at this kraal, at once to have off-
saddled, and proceeded to the work of sketching
the country to be travelled over, and verifying
their previous observations. Their horses were
turned out into the mealie fields without a
guard ; the party knew they would not stray
while they had plenty of food so close at hand.
The wonder is the Zulus did not drive off the
horses and then attack the riders. They pro-
bably knew that the disparity of numbers was
not great enough to admit of their attacking
without the advantage of a surprise.

No vedettes seem to have been posted, nor
a single precaution taken to avoid a surprise ;
even when the Native who was with the party
told them he saw a Zulu in the valley and
coming towards them, no special alteration

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seems to have taken place in their arrange-
ments.

The party consisted, besides the Prince, of
six white Colonial troopers, one infantry officer,
and a friendly native. The Prince had brought
his dog with him, and there were also a couple
of spare horses.

The observations having been made and
lunch finished, nothing remained but to saddle
up and get homewards. The order to bring in
the horses was given, and they were then
saddled and bridled. The orders were given :
*' Stand to your horses " ; " Prepare to mount " ;
and just as the final order "Mount" came,
there flashes all round from the mealie gardens
the hurried volley. None were hit, but aU
were taken by surprise, and the harm was done.
Then came the swift rush with furious and
demoniacal yells : no time was there to unsling
carbines and mount and load. The enemy
were, in one rush, upon them. All self-control
was lost ; it was a general stampede. When
one horse broke away, the others were impatient
to follow. The Prince's horse, most probably
fretting at the movement of the others, moved

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after them, the Prince vainly endeavouring to
mount. It is more than probable that he was
half carried, half ran by his horse for some
hundred yards towards the deep donga on the
north, when the increased strain broke the
holster-straps that goes over the pommel of the
saddle. His last hold on life broke with that
piece of worthless leather. In the meantime,
one of the men, hampered with a spare horse,
and his own falling under him, had been killed
at once, and his body lay not five yards from
that of his horse. The other. Trooper Abel,
was most probably also unable to get on his
horse, and was killed in the same donga as was
the Prince. Ere the Prince lost hold of his
horse, a trooper, a Frenchman, La Touche by
name, dashed by him. La Touche had
mounted at the voUey, and in hurriedly doing
so had dropped his carbine, and thus nearly
lost his life. For he jumped off and regained
it, and his horse moved on ere he could re-
mount. La Touche, however, managed to fling
himself on, and with the reins in one hand and
the carbine in the other, and lying on his breast
on the saddle, was carried past the Prince, to

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whom, in passing, he cried in French, " Haste,
sir, there is no time to lose " ! The Prince,
his horse having broken from him, now appears
to have run towards the donga on the north,
probably with the hope that some of them
might pick him up behind them, or rally on the
other side of the donga ; having broken through
the circle of enemies he may have thought that
his own party could catch his horse and he
would be enabled to mount on the other side.
There is but little doubt that could a stand
have been made on the other side, a few car-
bine shots might have arrested the pursuit.
All were too scattered for that however. To
the edge of this donga he reached, when finding
that escape was impossible and rescue hopeless,
and disdaining to fly further, he seems to have
turned on the end of a spit of land which ran
into the deep donga, and was protected on
either side by smaller dongas running into the
large one.

It is more than probable that his pursuers
were close after him, though some may have
been engaged with the two men who were
killed between him and the kraal. Here he

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may have made a stand for a moment or two,
till pierced with an assegai, either thrust or
thrown, he staggered back into the smaller
donga on his right, in which his body was
found. Then his destroyers jumping down
after him, pierced him with those eighteen
assegai wounds which were found on him.
The stab through the right eye must have
caused instantaneous death; most of the
others were flesh wounds only. The Native
who was with them broke through the circle of
foes, but was overtaken and killed some dis-
tance off by his swift pursuers. The broken
relics of the party continued their course till
they reached Colonels Wood and Buller, who
were out some little distance in front of the
Flying column. The results of search for
the fallen were as follows : — On arriving at the
kraal after skirmishing through the long grass
and mealie fields, the first body found was
that of Trooper Abel, who lay dead, riddled
with assegai wounds, and with the usual Zulu
coup de grace^ given with more than ordinary

* This mark, inflicted on the bodies of the slain, con-
sists of a gash in the stomach. It is given, it is believed,
from superstitious motives.

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vigour ; some yards to his front lay his horse,
not yet dead, though unable to rise or do more
than move his head and forequarters, thus the
incarnate fiends had left him in his agony, the
earth all torn with his ineflfectual struggles to
rise. To the left of this was the body of
Kogers, the other trooper ; it was in a donga,
and grim was its aspect as it stood propped
up against a bank, glaring into space with
open eyes that had a ghastly horror in
them; he too was pierced with wounds and
had received the coup de grace. Amongst
those who were taking part in the search, was
Lieutenant Dundonald Cochrane, of the 32nd
Regiment (then in command of the Basutos).
He it was who first discovered the body. We,
riding down the edge of the same donga, saw
Lieutenant Cochrane on exactly the opposite
side, and noticed him stop suddenly and then
reverently take off his hat. The body lay
between us. Looking down we knew that all
our vague hopes were gone, for in the donga
below lay the last remains of him who but one
day before had been so fall of life and bright-
ness. The body was naked, save that a smaU

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100

chain with some charms hung round the neck,
and onp stocking was on the right foot. The
aspect was that of the very gentlest repose,
and the face was smiling and peaceful as in
sleep. Something of dignity in the look of
the dead body must have shown the Zulus,
ferocious and uncivilised though they be, that
no common foe had been struck down by them.
The dress was the same they had seen on other
officers, too many of whom had fallen by their
assegais, yet it wa« evident they recognised
something of superiority in his aspect, for the
coup de grace was inflicted by the lightest hand.

But why go on with a narrative that only
raises the perpetual thought— might he have
been rescued ?

A few yards from him lay the body of his
little white terrier, who at least was faithful,
and stayed till an assegai laid him dead by his
master's side.

Soon there came down to the spot a sad
group, and all in reverence stood round the
body of the dead Prince. General Marshall,
Mr. Forbes, the correspondent, and many
officers were grouped together.

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101

The correspondent of the French " Figaro,"
with the unrestrained passion of his nation,
threw himself down by the body, weeping and
wringing his hands in uncontrollable grief.
The body was placed by officers in a blanket,
and deposited in an ambulance which had now
arrived, and taken to the camp of the second
column, into which it was followed by the
General and all the officers.

Nothing further was discovered on close
examination round the spot where the Prince
had fallen. Whether he used his revolver will
probably never be known; most likely he
used his sword which he loved so well. It
had been his father's. As far as we could tell
at the time, the Zulus who killed the Prince
were a small party to whom the kraal belonged,
and who were gathering mealies in the neigh-
bouring fields when the party got to it. The
Prince's shirt was found the next day in the
possession of a Zulu woman. She, poor, old,
and blind, manifested the greatest indiflference
to the questions which were eagerly put to
her.

The body of the Prince was conveyed from

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the head-quarter camp in an ambulance. On
arriving near Ladysmith, it remained at the
beginning of the village, upon the Veldt,
during the night, a guard furnished by the
garrison being mounted over it. Here took
place perhaps the most touching, because the
most simple, scene in the whole of the long
progress to the last resting place at Chisel-
hurst. From a schoolhouse near had come
out and formed on each side of the road a line
of black school children. Their harmonium
had also been carried out ; as the rough ambu-
lance drew near they commenced singing an
hymn. There was much of pathos in the
sound of the sweet sad strain uprising in the
chill morning air; this entirely spontaneous
mark of sympathy for the " young chief was
but one proof of the feeling that aU in the
colony, whatever their age, colour, position or
sex, had at the sudden and terrible close of
that bright young Ufe. And it may be safely
ajBfirmed that not one dissociated in his mind,
from the thought of the dead son, the recol-
lection of the blow awaiting the widowed
mother. In Ladysmith itself, the body was

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met by a detachment of the 58th Regiment
imder Captain Churchill, and some Colonial
forces.* Lieutenant Alan Hill, 58th, and an
escort from that regiment escorted it down to
Pietermaritzburg. At Durban the population
for thirty miles round attended to witness the
procession ; six hundred British soldiers under
Major (now Lieutenant-Colonel) Huskisson
were under arms. The most striking scene
was at the point where the military handed
over the coflSn to the Royal Navy. Captain
Bradshaw of H.M.S. *Shah,' and Commodore
Richards had all the blue jackets drawn up
there. Lieutenant-Colonel Pemberton, 60th
Rifles preceded him in military charge of the
body on board H.M.S. 'Orontes'. The poor
major-domo who was, as before mentioned,
left behind in Durban, was inconsolable at the
death of his young master I indeed it was
feared that even his reason would be affected
by the shock. He frequently repeated what
everyone who had known the chivalrous young

* These forces consisted of the Ladysmith Town Guard
nnder Captain Eandalls, and fifty armed natives under
the Resident Magistrate.

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Prince must have felt to be the simplest truth,
" My master would never have abandoned one
of them ". We feel we have strayed from the
direct course of our narrative in giving these
details, but so little has been published about
the life of the Prince Imperial in South Africa
that we are sure this digression will be
pardoned.

On the night' succeeding the discovery of the
Prince's body, while we were encamped on the
Itylezi Eiver, one man was wounded in the
shoulder with an assegai— some Zulu on the
opposite bank had thrown it at him while he
was filling his canteen.

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CHAPTER VII.

/\N the 4th of June, while on patrol with
^ Colonel Buller, about 2500 Zulus tried to
entrap us, but they were discovered in time,
and their attempt failed. On receipt of this
intelligence in camp all the horse were ordered
out, and the laager surrounded with an earth-
work. This force of the enemy was thought
to be the advance guard of a larger body. The
next day at dawn most of the Irregular Horse
of the flying column were sent out under
Colonel Buller to reconnoitre in advance. A
body of Lancers and Dragoons from General
Newdigate's column following some little time
later.

On reaching the place where the ambuscade
was laid the day previous, a dark mass of Zulus
were seen in the plain below. They were

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gathered round some large kraals, which proved
to be those of Sirayo.

It was a lovely scene we looked down on
from the rocky hill where we stood. The
morning sun had just risen over the hill op-
posite us, and shone on the river that ran at
its base. Between the river and the hill was
a small open plain. The kraals stood in the
centre of the plain. The sides of the hill was
seamed and torn with dongas, and clothed with
mimosa bush. There were some among us
who had not seen trees for two months. Far
on the left front rose Inhlazatye, gleaming in
the morning sun, the great greenstone moun-
tain beyond which the king's place, our goal,
lay. On the right rose Ibabanango, which we
were soon to cross. A swarm of Zulus were
flitting like bees round the huts below, and we
could see some waggons, spoil of Isandula,
close to the kraal.

We had plenty of time to see this as we rode
down the gentle slope to the river.

With Colonel Buller one is not kept long in
suspense ; the orders were soon given, " Fron-
tier Light Horse the centre, Baker's Horse the

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left, and Whalle/s the right". The Zulus, in
the meantime, had massed and moved oflf in
companies, and taken up a position in the
dongas at the foot of the hill. They were
sheltered also by the thick cover aflforded by
the bush and grass. Once across the river, we
advanced at a gallop, firing the kraal, the
enemy opening fire at once. We rode to within
three hundred yards of them ; the men dis-
mounted, and the horses were led some few
yards out of the hottest of the fire.

The men took cover in the long grass and
behind ant-heaps. They fired fairly steadily,
but the hill side was covered with aloes, which
looked like men among the smoke, and which
were often doubtless hit. Colonel BuUer was
standing on an ant-heap looking through his
glass, watching the effects of the fire. This con-
tinued some time, till the enemy, trying to
outflank us on the right, poured in a volley
at some eighty yards from the edge of a mealie
field to which they had crept. The order was
then given to retire, which was done in good
order, and the river was recrossed and the men
drawn up on the other side. A war correspond-*

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ent, who had been lying under an ant-heap
and firing away, did not hear the order to
retire given, so he was left behind, till the
Colonel told some one to go back and put him
on his horse. From an accident to his leg
he was unable to mount, but he was brought
oflF all safely.

Apart from the chance of getting hit, the
scene was pretty in the extreme, to see the
whole face of the hill dotted with little puffs
of white smoke. We had eight or ten men
hit, none mortally, and some fifteen horses
killed or wounded. The Imperial cavalry had
meanwhile come on the scene, and by General
Marshall's order advanced to the attack. It
was a grand sight, to do one's heart good, to
see them advancing across the level plain.
They crossed the river and then moved
forward over the little plain, the Lancers
in advance and the King's Dragoon Guards
in support. They took up nearly the same
ground as that which we had previously
occupied. One could not help being sorry
they were sent there ; it was a mere waste of
life. The enemy were too strongly posted to

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have any serious damage done to them. It
was hopeless to expect cavaby to turn them
out, and the result must inevitably be a
retreat. The main object had already bpen
gained, the enemy having shown their strength.
The result was the cavalry had to retreat after
losing one of their best officers, Lieutenant
Frith, their adjutant; they also had a horse
or two hit, I believe. They then retired and
drew up out of sight of the Zulus, behind a
gentle rise. By this concealment the Zulus
were to be induced to move out into the plain.
The cavalry leaders had however yet to find
that Zulus were not to be duped by so trans-
parent a ruse, and the sight of half the lances
with the fluttering pennons which stuck up
over the brow of the hill too plainly marked
the position of the (otherwise) wily Lancers.
Of course, by all the rules of war, the Zulus
should have been drawn out and then cut up,
but they are very old-fashioned. Some few
crept down the rugged bed of the river and
fixed scattered shot at us. We, the Irregulars,
in the meantime,, sat and lounged about, the
bait of the trap, but they were too wary. To

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the voice of the charmer, English Cavalry
General though he was, they would not listen.

Soon the order was given to return home,
which was some couple or three miles off, the
column having advanced a few miles since we
left.

In the Itylezi River close to where the body
of the Prince had been discovered, gold was
panned out by a trooper, an old Califomian
miner, whether in paying quantities we cannot
say. We believe it is seldom in South African
gold digging that gold can be got in river
beds. Specimens of quartz sent down to be
analysed to a first-rate engineer in the colony,
showed indications, and paying ones, of gold.
The whole country round this district is with-
out doubt auriferous. The question is how
much return for labour.

On the 6th or 7th of June we were roused
some half hour or so after " lights out " by the
sound of big guns from General Newdigate's
column. This column was encamped some
few miles to the rear of ours, at a place known
afterwards as "Fort Funk". An officer was
sent over and came back with accounts of the

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scare. It appears an alarm took place, the
men hurried to their stations in the laager,
leaving their tents standing. Then one fired,
now another, and at last the firing ran all
down the line utterly beyond the power of the
officers to stop. The big guns joined in and
increased the tumult. The firing gradually
died out all down the line. The next business
was to inspect the damage. The sight was
ifu>t particularly edifying, tents riddled, clothes
in a similar condition, oxen shot, and their
drivers frightened to death. We were much
rejoiced to find that the only troops who had
not shared in the panic were those under
Major Chard, V.C., a portion of our column,
who had gone to assist in making a fort in
front of the laager. The fort was luckily far
enough advanced in building to afford shelter
against the fire of the laager, not only for the
engineers, but also for the picket who fortun-
ately took refuge there. The stones in the
fort embankment showed abundant traces of
the fire, most of the stones were marked by
bullets, one had received four hits. A sergeant
was shot on the spot, and only lived a few

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112

days. I do not know if any other casuaKties
occurred.

It was then decided by Lord Chelmsford
that Wood's column should go back to their
base — ^Utrecht — ^and bring in all the supplies
from that place. Most of the mounted troops
with Colonel Buller joined General Newdi-
gate's column. This was the 7th June. The
same night the laager was formed close to
where the skirmish of the 5th took place. A
few shots of the big guns were fired at some
of the enemy who were hanging about the
kraals. The waggons that were by the kraals
were also discovered and used. On the next
morning some infantry skirmished through
the bush but did not see any trace of the
enemy.

One of our ofl&cers had a servant, an old
Colony black, who went by the name of Ketch-
wayo, who, on our arrival in camp, bolted oflF,
as they always did, to get wood. While en-
gaged in pulling a kraal to pieces, some
regulars who were being sent out as cattle
guards saw him, they immediately gave chase
to him and collared him. The poor fellow

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was most fearfully frightened, and when asked
his name could only gasp out " Ketchwayo ".
" Oh, you are the very fellow we want," and so
poor Ketchwayo was marched oS in high
triumph. The men were fearfully sold when the
truth came out that he was only Captain
D'Arcy's servant and not the King of the Zulus.

We found the arrangements of Newdigate's
column were not nearly so perfect as those of
our own column, and most ardently we looked
for its return. Every day some story about
peace went the rounds of the camp ; ambas-
sadors of more or less dubious respectability
kept coming in. All this we heard with a sore
heart, for a great longing to avenge the death
of the poor Prince was in us. All would have
thought it a disgrace had not an opportunity
to wipe out that terrible stain on our escut-
cheon been vouchsafed us.

Colonel Buller still continued to carry on
his patrols, and we were employed mending
drifts to facilitate the return of Wood's
column.

On the 13th June, the Zulus were reported
to be in force some few miles off, which proved

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114

a false report, for a patrol sent out to look
them up could discover nothing. On this
patrol we saw a completely new hut built
where some had been burnt a few days pre-
viously.

A small patrol under the Colonel exchanged
shots about this time with a few Zulus, and
shot two of them, and had a long chase after
two mounted men.

There were large maize and Kafl&r cornfields
near, which gave our horses more grain than
they had had for some time. There were also
small patches of KaflSr beans, a sort of earth
nut, so on them we fared sumptuously.

On the hill behind the camp were two old
Zulu women, the ugliest hags ever seen. They
expressed no surprise when they saw us, but
sat at the door of their huts blinking in the
sun. When we brought them water and food
they gave no thanks, but mumbled at the hard
biscuit with their toothless jaws. Evidently
their friends stole down in the night and fed
them, as we found the water jugs or gourds
replenished on the next day, and the old ladies
were too weak to walk.

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On the 14tli June we left on a patrol with
Colonel Buller for a mountain, some thirty-
five miles oflf called Intabankulu, where there
was a great herd of cattle reported. We
travelled all day and into the night, seeing
nothing, and finally encamped on the banks of
Umvelosi River. The Colonel always made a
point of encamping in the dark, and invari-
ably moved a few miles after sundown. The
enemy then never knew where we were at
night, so could not surround and attack us.
The most perfect silence was always strictly
enjoined. The horses were put in rings of
some thirty or so each, fastened to each other,
the men slept at their heads in a circle.
Sentries paced round the rings all night to see
that no horse broke loose. One blanket only
was carried, and the nights were most bitterly
cold. The guards had to be visited hourly,
and the vedettes also looked to. Smoking was
always stopped, as the glare of the matches
would have pointed out our position to the
enemy. About two in the morning the men
were roused, and silently loosed the horses and
fell in. The saddles were never removed at

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night when on patroL Then came the work
of counting and whispering over the roll call.
All was done in most perfect quiet. The
orders, short and to the point, were given in a
low tone to the men. In that rarified atmos-
phere sound is heard at an incredible distance.
Then comes the word to advance, and in
pitchy darkness the broad river is forded, the
horses slipping like cats down the steep banks,
then scrambling up the equally steep banks on
the further shore.

Still in silence we follow our leader through
the pathless waste, to ride safely over which
at a gallop in the light is no trivial matter.
After six or seven miles of this sort of thing,
we reach our destination ; orders are given :
to every troop is explained their object and
duty in a terse sense or two, and then, just in
the greyest dawn, we quicken to a canter, each
troop diverges to its goal, and the scene, one
moment before so silent, re-echoes to the hol-
low sounds of the hoofs of four hundred horse.
The object of our present attack is a mountain,
rising squarely out of a broad plain, rocky and
precipitous. On the first terrace are the kraals

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of the enemy, and at this early hour their
fires gleam through the darkness and are our
beacons in the advance. Two troops swing
round the hiU in rear some climb the right,
some the left face, while others dash straight on
to the assigned post. The enemy, thoroughly
surprised, swarm out of their kraals, some
reach the cliffs and keep up a dropping fire on
the assailants. The hill re-echoes to the sound
of rifle shots as the caves among the rocks
are searched one after the other. If they do
not resist they are taken prisoners. One man
camei to the mouth of a cave, and fired point
blank at Captain and Commandant Baker ; he
luckily missed, and the Captain promptly shot
him. The shot hit the Zulu in the forehead,
the distance being not six yards, yet, such is
the extraordinary thickness of the skull, that
the bullet flattened out on it. The enemy, in
some cases, were so completely taken by sur-
prise, that on coming to the mouth of the
cave and presenting to fire, they had not
taken out the little plug of newspaper that
they keep in the muzzle to keep out wet.
In fact, they are totally bewildered, and do

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not gather together in force enough to make a
serious resistance. Some seven hundred cattle
were captured, a herd of goats and sheep, and
about forty prisoners. Many more prisoners
might have been taken, but they would only
have been incumbrances. By this time the
alarm had been spread all round, and the
neighbouring hills had become dotted with
the gathering enemy. The cattle are rapidly
collected by us and driven oflf. The main
object of the patrol — ^harrassing the enemy —
eflfected, we move away. The Zulus now col-
lected, though yelling with impotent fury,
dare not venture into the plain, and we march
uupursued on our return journey. But look
at the men driving the cattle : they are
prisoners, taken just now on the hill, who by
a cruel irony of fate are compelled to drive
the cattle but an hour ago their own. A few
women-prisoners accompany our march : it
would not do to let these go as yet. They
are accordingly brought on to where we halt
for breakfast. We halt near the place we
encamped at the previous night. The horses,
as hungry as ourselves, are let out to graze.

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The guards are mounted and vedettes posted
on the rising ground. The men disperse for
water and fuel, (the latter they get from the
kraals,) others turn out the haversacks and
make coflfee. The provisions taken on the
patrol are coffee, sugar, and biscuit, fresh beef
for two days and preserved for the third. The
coflfee is made in " billys," like those Australian
diggers have, these hang in a neat leather case
by the side of the saddle. The women-prisoners
are very happy indeed, though they don't
know how long we shall retain them. They
are only exchanging one life of slavery for
another as they think, and they may have
heard that Englishmen do not force their
wives to work. One good-looking damsel,
with a leopard skin on her shoulders, in reply
to some chaflF about marriage, evinces an
astuteness which we did not expect to see in
a child of nature. On our humbly asking for
her dusky hand, she enquires if we shall make
her work in the fields ? on learning that it is
not our intention to make her hoe mealies, she
wants to know if we are an inkose (chief).
Another then chaflBng her on the same subject,

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she learns that he is an inkose inkulu (great
chief), and promptly discards her first adorer,
ourselves, to our huge disgust. The captive
seems, indeed, to have a great idea of her own
attractions, for after this affront to us, she
tries to make it up at breakfast, and gets some
coffee, meat, and biscuit. Very vexed is she
when she finds there is no sugar in her coffee,
and she soon rectifies the omission. Some of
the sheep which are hardly able to travel as
far as the camp, are killed and slung on the
spare horses. Some little want of discrimina-
tion as to the choice parts of the animal and
the manner of eating, lowers our captive in
our eyes.

The horses are now brought in and saddled
up, the prisoners (female) are sent back with
a message to the king. She of the leopard
skin weeps piteously and begs hard to come
with us : she was fully persuaded that inkose
inkulu was going to make her his bride and
carry her off. Poor girl I her rose-coloured
visions are dissipated, and no doubt the old and
ill-favoured hag she is with will avenge their
neglect on her, especially as she gave herself

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rather consequential airs on the strength of
her conquest. Henceforth she can look for-
ward to 'nothing better than being sold as a
slave to the man whom she, in company with
some dozen or so fellow-slaves, have to call
husband. The Zulus are a light-hearted race,
4nd we hope she will soon recover, and live
happily ever afterwards. One thing in this
war reflects credit on us all — no woman was
wantonly injured, and the wildest Irregular
must treat them fairly. There was an attack
in " Truth " some time ago on the subject of
atrocities by the Irregulars. It was not worth
one's while to contradict the statement, so I
suppose no one cared to, but it was utterly
false.

All day we ride on, and reach <5amp at ten
P.M., travelling the last four hours in darkness,
riding down almost precipitous dongas, fording
rivers, and stumbling over ant-heaps and into
ant-bear holes. It would horrify a Leicester-
shire man to travel in the day the ground we
do at night. All our cattle get safe to camp,
and we soon discuss the lambs we captured in
the morning.

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On the 17th June we rejoin Wood's column,
to our huge delight. The arrangements in
the head-quarter column were by no means so
good as our own, spite of the abundance of
staff officers. The men were harrassed by-
being kept under arms an indefinite period in
the morning. False alarms were given, and
the horses did not get either the grain or the
care that they did in our own column. General
Wood had made his march in an incredibly
short space of time ; he was evidently resolved
to make no unnecessary delay.

We were anxiously expecting various stores
to eke out our meagre allowance, but the
General would carry no unnecessary lumber, so
they were left behind, and what became of
them we know not.

We must be left in this uncomfortable posi-
tion, till our next brings us to more stirring
scenes.

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CHAPTER VIII.

T)Y this time the Irregular corps of the
^^ Flying column had been brought to their
best form. Long months of anxious work on
the part of Colonel Buller and the ofl&cers
under him, had resulted in the formation of a
regiment the most fitted for rough work yet
seen in Africa. The materials that the Colonel
had to work on were of all sorts. The Ir-
regulars always reminded me of that verse,
" Parthians and Medes, Elamites and Persians,''
&c., comprising as they did men of all nations.
My own corps included the following national-
ities; English, Scotch, Irish, Welsh, French,
Prussians, Danes, Swedes, Austrians, Nor-
wegians, Italians, Spanish, Australians, Rus-
sians, Jews of all nations, Poles, Hungarians,

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AMcanders (English bom in Africa), Boers,
and Americans. Surely a mixed lot to weld
as they were into a perfect whole. I started,
as I said before, thoroughly prejudiced against
volunteers, but am bound to admit that they
did good work and service. Of these nations,
Danes made the best and Americanized Irish
the worst soldiers. As Archibald Forbes truly
says, they were men of varied antecedents.
Discharged soldiers and 'Varsity men, un-
frocked clergyman and sailor, cockney and coun-
tryman, cashiered oflficers of army and navy
here rubbed shoulders. Of course, when newly
raised, these corps were for a time utterly use-
less. The long march up the country consoli-
dated, and the heavy work weeded out the less
strong. As everywhere the weaker went to
the wall, succumbed to the climate ; fever and
dysentery, ague and rheumatism thinned out
the weakly. Coming from the sweltering heat
of the plains to the cold frosty nights of the
uplands ; heated with the dusty march by the
slow-moving waggons ; drenched with the fre-
quent thunder-storms, then frozen, it will not
be wondered that many sank. They were, there-

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fore, by the time they reached the column tho-
roughly hardened and seasoned, and as men of
ruined fortunes are proverbially reckless of life>
they were well suited for the work before them.

It may not be out of place to give a sketch
of the various Irregular regiments.

First of all came the oldest Irregular corps,,
the Frontier Light Horse, about two hundred
strong. This corps was raised for the old
colony war by Lieutenant, now Major Carring-
ton, 1-1 2th Regiment, and was then known as.
Carrington's Horse ; it served with distinction
through the Gaika and Galeka campaigns.
It bore itself always with courage, and had
more esprit de corps than the other corps*
After Carrington left it was commanded by
Captain Whalley and then by Colonel Buller ;
under both it served through the first campaign
of England against Secocoeni. It has been
always well oflficered, and in that had a marked
advantage over the other corps. It has been
oflficered by. such men as Colonel Buller, Major
Carrington (l-24th), Captain MacNaughten
(kiUed in Perie bush), Whalley ( 17th Lancers),
Barton (Coldstream Guards, kiUed at Zlobane),

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Prior (SOth Regiment), Brunker (26th), Baron
von Stitencron (Austrian Hussars, killed at
Zlobane), and many others. It is now under
the command of Commandant Cecil D'Arcy,
V.C, who has risen to distinction and gained
his V.C. in it.* Since disbanded.

" Baker's Horse " was originally raised by
Captain now Major F. J. Baker, Ceylon Rifles,
an officer who has served through the various
African wars and in Borneo. It served through
the latter part of the old colony war under
that officer. Their Adjutant at that time was
Lieutenant Dalrymple, now A.D.C. to Sir
Bartle Frere. After the quelling of the
rebellion, and the flight of Kreli and death of
SandiUi, this corps was sent to garrison Kok-
stadt. The Pondas were supposed to be about
to rise, but were checked by the prompt measures
taken. After this the regiment marched through
Natal and disbanded at Port Elizabeth. A
few days afterwards Captain Baker got a tele-
gram from Lord Chelmsford to raise men.
This was done with incredible celerity, and
in a short space some two hundred and forty
* Reported killed before Pretoria, Jan., 1881.

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men sailed from Port Elizabeth. At Zlobane
this corps suflfered in common with the other
Irregulars. Nevertheless, in spite of many-
other services during the remainder of the
war, we believe Captain Baker has received
no acknowledgement for his services, though
his were the first reinforcements to enter Natal
after Isandula.

The third force was Eaafe's Eangers, and a
more forbidding lot of mixed Hottentots and
scum of the Diamond Fields was never col-
lected together outside a prison wall.

Then came the Natal Light Horse under
Captain Watt Whalley, an oflficer who had seen
more service than falls to the lot of most men.
His services include the Mutiny (wounded),
China, and Abysinnia. He also served in the
Papal Zouaves, and accompanied that regiment
to France, serving in the Franco-Prussian war,
dangerously wounded at M^ziferes and taken
prisoner. Then through the Carlist war com-
manding a regiment under Don Carlos. In
Africa the Gaika, Galeka (wounded), Secocoeni
and Zulu campaigns. Of course, with such a com-
manding ofiicer a regiment must be a good one.

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The Basutos (100) were Native Irregulars,
under Captain Cochrane, 32nd. This force was
at Isandula, and through their knowledge of
Kaffir warfare, they managed to extricate
themselves with slight loss, though often hand
to hand. As scouts they were invaluable.
They were courageous, and possessed the merit
of being cheap, finding their own horses and
getting £3 per month. These ponies were
hardy little brutes, in fact they seemed to be
untirable, for let the day be ever so long at
the end they were fresh. The Basutos were
all Christians, many a time have we turned
out and listened to them singing their hymns
after reveille. Their voices are good and
knowledge of time perfect.

The Mounted Infantry can hardly be called
Irregulars, they were grooms, and other men
picked from the various regiments. Their
uniform was a red coat, more or less tattered,
trousers and leggings ditto, with a battered
helmet. They looked like a cross between a
groom out of place and a soldier after a night
in ceUs and a big drink. They have been com-
manded by Major Carrington, Colonel Eussell,

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12th Lancers, and latterly by Captain Brown,
V.C, l-24tli, a most excellent oflficer. Their
other officers were Lieutenants Davis (Buffs),
Walsh, 1-1 3th, Hutchinson, 4th King's Own.
This sort of cavalry will be the force of the
future for Africa, as they are as good as any
others and far cheaper.

The mounted corps of Colonel Weatheley,
which was annihilated at Zlobane, were raised
under Captain Denison, one of the survivors,
but never again joined the Flying column.

The Kaffrarian Eiflemen were the relics of
the old Crimean German Legion, which was
allotted lands at the Cape in 1856. They
were raised under Commandant Schembrucker,
one of their old officers. This corps left the
column in April, and remained in the Trans-
vaal. Some of their officers were officers now
serving in the Prussian army.

Just at this time a journey to the field of
Isandula was made by a large party, their
report was that the site of the camp was very
badly chosen. We rather expected to find the
bodies lying in square, as the earlier reports of
the battle had led one to suspect. The reverse.

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however, was the case, and this showed the
ammunition had been exhausted. The terrible
slaughter seems to have occurred when the
retrogade move was made to the waggons.
The first part of the battle had been fought
some distance from the camp. The slaughter
of Zulus must have been immense. Their
own story shows this to have been the bloodiest
battle of the war save Kambula. Long after
we found many people suflfering from the fear-
ful wounds there received. By no meaM the
best section of the Zulu nation seem to have
been there engaged. Though the King's
guards, as we may say, fought, still the bold
robber tribes of Umbeline, from the rocky
mountain strongholds, were not there. The
regiments seem to have been drawn from the
south-eastern portion of the country, from the
bush region and the border land. When we
consider the three battles of January 22nd
and 24th — Isandula, Ineyzane, and Zlobane,
we can arrive at some idea of the inmiense
power of the Zulu nation at the commence-
ment of the war. Pearson at Ineyzane
opposes, he thinks 11,000 ; on the same day,

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25,000 are said to overwhelm Dumsford, and
retired before Lord Chehnsford; while two
days later, Wood defeats 12,000 at Zlobane.
The distances between the places indicated,
make it impossible that a single man could
have fought at any two of these actions:
Ketchwayo had a large reserve at Ulundi, so
the total fighting strength of the nation must
have been some 50,000 at least. The battle
field was strewn with papers, some of them
doubtless of importance, nor was it till long
after that these were collected and burned.
The different condition of the bodies was most
remarkable, some were by the heat of the sun
completely mumified, in others the ordinary
process of decomposition had taken place;
The fact that vedette duty prevented a close
examination of the field, must be the apology
for so poor an account of the visit.

On the 19th of June our corps' turn for
advance guard fell. The two columns were
this time marching nearly together, that is.
General Wood's column was sometimes fire
nriles ahead of General Newdigate's, at others
it would be encamped on the other side of the

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same river. On this morning we left camp^
some hours before dawn, and thoroughly ex-
amined the ground along which the column
would pass. Then brealdng off into two
detachments, one party turned off to examine
the hills on the right of the line of march,
the others, those to the left. We went to the
right. After some time a few Zulus were seen
leaving some kraals. They allowed us to get
within shot, when delivering a volley, they
disappeared over the crest of the hill. Long
before we climb its steep sides they were out
of shot. On reaching the top, we see a large
tract of prairie-like land, stretching for some
distance. This plateau is covered with luxuri-
ant yet sweet grass. The edges of this plateau
fall away into deep valleys, which in their
turn, are broken by rugged hills. Skirting
the edge of the tableland for sometime, we
espy a large herd of cattle in the deep gorges,
some miles below us. A number of people
were driving them across a river, which twined
and twisted about below. Something in their
gait told our leader. Commandant Baker, that
these cattle were only a bait. Orders were

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accordingly given not descend to capture them.
Lucky it was that this was done, as the sequel
shows. Some of the Zulus below were in
shot. We rode to the spur of the ridge, just
where it dipped down suddenly into the vaUey
beneath, then opened fire. No sooner had we
done so, than a volley was fired from a knoll,
some 200 yards off on our right. An ofl&cer
was sent with some twenty-five men to dis-
lodge them. This he did by getting on
another spur that overlooked them, and thus
outflanking them. Both of our little bodies
now opened fire on the stragglers in the plain
below, at some 600 yards. The enemy made
for a donga a little nearer to us, we then fired
into the donga at anyone showing themselves.
About 300 of the Zulus were then seen to
leave the further end of this ravine, and steal
down the bed of the river, so that by making
a detour of some two miles they could com-
pletely cut us off. Our fire was so galling to
those in the donga, that not being able to
return it effectually they bolted in large num-
bers from it. They then made a charge for-
ward to dislodge us from our coign of vantage,

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but were repulsed^ and retired leaving some
thirty dead lying about the plain. The body
©f the enemy, who were all this time trying
to outflank us, had in the meantime crept
nearly round the base of the hill, along the
bed of the river which wound round it. Our
commander called us ofl", having captured
some few cows and a good flock of sheep.
These we drove oflF, and though our friends
followed us, and occasionally fired> yet they
did not venture to leave the edge of the
broken ground Their intention had been to
lure our small force into the plain and pounce
on us from their hiding place. In that case
probably not a man would have escaped.
This little brush is given as a type of what
was constantly occurring. In the face of much
superior numbers, our small force of fifty men
had inflicted a loss of about forty on them.
Their numbers were about 700. The party
which had early in the day gone to the left,
had exchanged shots with an enemy posted
in an inaccessible kloof.

On the 21st of June we were encamped on
the head waters of the Umvelosi Eiver. Every

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day now more Zulus were seen, and small
skirmishes took place daily. The enemy made
many and determined attempts, to bum up
the grass along the line of march. It required
all our vigilance to prevent them doing so.
The grass was dry as tinder and caught at
once. Every day a broad strip was cut round
the camp, so that we should not be burned
out. Sometimes the enemy would bum a
huge strip in our teeth, small bodies used to
appear incessantly, fire a patch and then be off.
Every night we lay among the black ashes.

We had been for several days in sight of
what was supposed to be Ulundi. Our route
lay along the top of a chain of hills, the
valleys on our left ftdl of bush. The first
sight of Ulundi was glorious, the goal we had
so long and ardently desired was in sight at
last. That mysterious king's place of which
traders had given such extravagant accounts.
Truly the scene we gazed on was pleasant.
For days we had travelled over rough Ibaba-
nango through a treeless country. Here we
look at from our ridge a long valley some
thirty miles long, bounded by hills. The

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valley itself was covered with brushwood.
The broad Umvelosi swept across it in the
distance. Many huge kraals were in it each
containing thousands of huts ; these were the
barracks to the army. Afar oflF was a large
circular enclosure which was pointed out as
the king's kraal. Two soldiers of the 13th
testified their delight by falling out, and
milling each other with right good will, in the
exuberance of their delight.

At this time we passed the road where
Crealock's Column were supposed to have
advanced by. Long and anxiously did we
scan the country in this direction. Many
were the fears lest he should be before us, and
snatch the laurels we thought our due. Joy-
ful were we when no trace of him could we
see. It would have made us easier if we had
known that he, with his strong army corps
were encamped in a marsh near a weU nigh
impracticable landing place.

A day or two later we descended into the
valley to destroy three large military kraals.
All expected hot work. We rode down among
the bushes. On the heights above were some

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guns escorted by Lancers. Advancing through
the difl&cult ground, we burned without op-
position the large kraals we found. These
consisted in two cases of some 2500 huts each.
The third was somewhat smaller. Many relics
of Isandula were found in these barracks,
baths, buckets, water canteens, cooking pots,
and many other things. In one hut we found
a hymn book (ancient and modem with music),
in several, Eoman Catholic prints of saints
were seen. Small bodies of the enemy were
seen, and a partial skirmish took place, some
seven of the enemy were kiUed. A compact
•column of some 2000 Zulus were seen advanc-
ing by the gunners on the hill. The guns
opened fire, and the first two shells pitched
right in front of them, and burst. Seeing we
were so well supported, they retired. We
were not sorry as the ground was bad for
-cavalry, and the enemy knew the ground
better than we did. The hills were then
<5limbed and we returned home. The air in
these valleys was hot and fragrant, like a con-
aervatory at home, as we got up the hills
again it changed to the bracing atmosphere of

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the uplands. A day or two later some ambas-
sadors from the king, bearing two huge tusks
of ivory, were met and brought in. One of
these tusks was huge, it took two men to carry
it The Embassy also brought with them
some 160 head of cattle, trek oxen, captured
at Isandula. Their sleek and well fed appear-
ance contrasted with our thin and travel-worn
bullocks. The Embassy also expressed the
king's intention to collect the cattle, captured
at the up-country fight (Intombi Kiver), and
send them to the general. The ivory was
returned, and the cattle kept for some days.
The ambassadors took back the answer to the
King's proposals for peace. We do not know
the King's proposals, but the answer was, we
believe^ that no proposition could, be enter-
tained unless 1000 Zulus came in, and gave
up their arms. No great diplomatic skiU
seems to have been exercised, aud mayhap it
were well there was not.

The sight of the ivory aroused the natural
desire inherent in every soldier, especially in-
herent in those of fortune, for plunder. Vague
stories of the wealth of the King went about.

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Splendid visions of loot, in the shape of gold
dust, ivory, ostrich feathers and diamonds,
filled the soldiers' eyes. Incredible stories of
the amount of treasure taken at Isandula were
circulated. We believe the real amount waa
£300. It is needless to say these golden
visions were broken, not a man of the Eegulars
being a sovereign the better for any loot taken.
Some of the Irregulars got small sums from
deserted kraals. The amount altogether we
imagine was small. The men took pains to
conceal anything they did take, as they were
afraid of being made to disgorge.

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CHAPTER IX.

/\N the 25th we reached Magnumbonium or
^ Introgeneni, a point 2000 feet above the
sea level It is nearly at the extreme end of
the chain of hills, along which we had ad-
vanced the preceding days. From it the road
or tract to Ulundi branches off, and finally
dips down into the lovely valley. From here
a good view of the veritable Ulundi can be
seen, the sight we had waited six long months
for. The delight one felt must have been
similar to that that animated the Ten Thousand
at the first sight of the sea. One was almost
tempted to shout Ulundi 1 Ulundi ! as they
did Thalassa ! Thalassa ! From the same height
we could see the sea in the far distance.

The troops here got two days' rest. Then
orders were given to leave all sick horses.

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spare waggons, tents, provisions. A fort was
made, and aU waggons not intended to go on
left behind. They were left in charge of
Major Upcher l-24th, and 500 men. Pro«
visions were taken for ten days.

On the morning of June 30th at 6-15, the
united columns advanced and descended the
slopes to the plain. The valley was thickly
studded with aloes, mimosa, and other tropical
trees. Some eight miles off the Umvelosi
flashed and shone like a silver thread. The
river that saw the fight at Kambula was to
see another at Ulundi. On the descent the
advanced guard was met by some messengers
bearing a letter from the King, and the sword
of the Prince Imperial. Ketchwayo had, at
the request of Lord Chelmsford, sent for this
from the hands of the small tribe by whom he
had been killed. The messengers were detained
at the outpost, while the letter and sword
were carried to the General. The sword, easily
recognizable, by the C3rpher N, was gazed on
with eager but respectful curiosity by all
present. It was reported to have belonged to
the great Napoleon, it certainly belonged to

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Napoleon III. On the last occasion we had
seen it, the ill-fated Prince had drawn it, while
galloping up a hill from the crest of which
some Zulus were just decamping. He ex-
pressed an eager desire to blood it. A wish
too fully fulfilled, as it most probably was in
those few moments just prior to his death,
when he had turned to bay. Its cold hilt was
the last thing that that hand, so soon to be
<iold as the steel, had clasped. The letter was
written by a trader named Vejn, it was ad-
dressed "From Ketchwayo to Lord Chelms-
ford." On the outside Vejn had, at the peril
of his life, written " If you come, come strong,
there are 20,000 of them." A noble warning,
this generous message, and one that ought to
be remembered. There were many Zulus
round the King who knew how to read
English. If one of these had seen the timely
warning, death and most probably torture
would have been the fate of the writer of it.
What anxious moments his must have been as
he saw the bearers press through th« crowds of
Zulus round the royal kraal.

Continuing our route we get to th« foot of

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the hills, and fairly into the plain. Here
laagar is formed, and we camp for the night.
Newdigate's Division some quarter of a mile
from us. The water here was very bad and
scarce, the journey for it long. A little
generalship on the enemies' part might have
seriously inconvenienced us in regard of this.

The orders of that night gave out that the
irregulars of Wood's column were to leave
camp at two a.m. the next morning. That
hour found aU ready, and we set out in the
inky darkness. For several miles we pass
along noiselessly. Day breaking finds us in a
park-like country full of thin bush. Our ride
ceases on the banks of the Umvelosi, or rather
just behind the ridge that slopes down to it.
Here out of sight we halt, dismount and ease
our horses. The colonel rides out to survey
the country. From some miles away comes
the war song of the enemy, rising and falling.
It is nearly impossible to describe the effect of
such a mighty volume of sound, rising through
the quiet air. Very weird and awsome does
it seem to us, as we wait without seeing the
singers. It seems they were guarding the ford

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below. We thought they were advancing,
and every minute expected to be engaged.
Our orders were not to fire until we were fired
on. We believe Lord Chelmsford had given
Ketchwayo three days* grace, or until the 3rd
of July, to consider his ultimation. We rode
on to where the Basutos were posted on the
ridge, and there looking down on the valley
we see it filled completely with the enemy.
They were posted at the two fords just below
us. During the few moments we stayed with
the Basutos, we saw two Zulu spies within one
hundred yards of us. The Basutos were
frantic with excitement, longing to shoot at
them. It was certainly tempting, to see them
creeping through the grass, it was however
against orders, and Captain Cochrane would
not allow it. They took a good view and then
retired, soon to be succeeded by another pair.
Trotting back, we see the long train of
^^gg^g^"Waggons descending the slopes in our
rear, while ahead of them the sun flashes on
the rifle barrels of the advancing column. A
wide chain of vedettes are thrown out, com-
pletely covering the advancing regiments.

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The weird music still rises from the valley of
the river, and much marching and counter-
marching takes place among the enemy.

All of us had started without breakfast and
without being able to fill our water canteens,
our sufferings from thirst, as we sat under the
burning sun, were something intense. Below
us rolled the river, broad and cool, rippling
over its shallow bed. For all the good it was
to us, it might have been a hundred miles off.
We could only look at it wistfully, and how
savage it made us with the foe who guarded it,
I think the Zulus had resolved to defend the
fords, but from some unexplained reason aban-^
doned that resolution. Soon, about 2 p.m.,
the advance guard reaches us. We all thought
that we should be ordered to advance and take
the ford. It is completely commanded by a
bluff or precipice that rises immediately below
it. The idea was that Wood's column should
take this, and the other remain on this side.
However, this was not done, and at the sight
of the advance guard the Zulus retire, very
likely with the intention of luring us forward.
Lord Chelmsford comes up and reconnoitres the

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ground. Then the welcome order to take the
horses to water at the stream is given. How
good that drink was, and how man and beast
enjoyed that cool draught 1 The ford ia a good
one though rather sandy, there is a slight
incline on the other side under the foot of the
bluff. The breadth of the river is about
seventy yards, the water is clear and sparkling,
the banks at places well wooded The bush
at a little distance from the stream is not so
thick, and is mostly mimosa and aloe. It was
quite like seeing an old friend, seeing the
Umvelosi On its head waters the column had
been encamped for months, when the cam-
paign was paralysed by the disaster of Isandula.
At its source was fought Kambula, and many
a time have we crossed it on different occa-
sions since. A troop had galloped on to secure
the bluff, and had abeady occupied it, when
they were recalled by Lord Chelmsford. A
sharp passage of arms occurred here between
Colonel Btiller and a special correspondent.
We fancy the latter got the worst of it, for he
complained to the General, who, however, had

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other things to do than to rectify the wounded
feelings of the hero in question.

The column encamped that night on the
slope towards the river, and were for the re-
mainder of the day engaged in clearing the
bush round the camp; the spare wood was
made into an " abattis " which ran outside the
laager. Newdigate's division was higher up
the slope to the rear. The night was spent in
peace.

The next day we all turned out and went
and had a good bathe in the clear river.
Towards midday we took the horses down to
water at the ford. There we found a picket ;
there were many men bathing all about. Just
as we finished watering, a volley was poured
in fix>m the bluff, which is covered with bush,
some hundred yards off. A soldier of the 90th
was hit in the leg. How in the world they
did so little damage we do not know. The
distance was so short and the crowd so thick.
The enemy had crept down and occupied every
hole in the rocks possible. A lively stampede
among the bathers took place. The spectacle
of the naked men running about, with portions

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of their raiment in their hands, was most
ludicrous. The picket returned the fire, we
sent all the horses to the camp, and skir-
mished through the cover, each getting a
convenient position for a shot. A lively little
fusilade ensued, the enemy firing at us and we
having a shot whenever they showed. Orders
were sent to retire, which was done reluctantly
enough. The bathers picked up their vesture
and we retired. The Zulus still held the bluff
and annoyed anyone going for water by their
fire. During the day the head-quarter column
came down to us, and their laager touched
ours. Ours overlapping theirs gave us the
advantage of a flanking fire. A stone fort was
built on the top of the hill that commanded
the laager, and some guns and a garrison
occupied them. More of the brushwood was
cleared away all round the camp. Large
bodies of the enemy were engaged all day
manoeuvring on the opposite side of the river.
Several times they seemed about to cross and
attack us. Some spies were captured, one of
whom we had actually employed as a butcher
at Kambula, some six months previously.

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We do not know what was their fate. Large
numbers of women were seen, through the field
glasses, busily occupied bmying the valuables
from the various kraals. Further down the
river, in sight, were the Opate Hills, on which
the Boers had, many years previously, received
such a terrible defeat. The seven military
kraals were all in sight on the other side.
Umpambongwenu the furthest ofi*, with a broad
path down it, Likazi and Ulundi next. On
our right front, Indasakomi and Enokweni;
right in front, Kanodwengo, the medicine
kraal ; Bulawayo and Ukandampanina on the
left front. Lord Chelmsford promised Ketch-
wayo to spare Kanodwengo, as it was their
sacred kraal. Generals Wood and Newdigate
each sent out a spy to go to the King's kraal
and pick up what information they could
Night came, and the horses were got in and
tied to the picket ropes. The laager was very
crowded indeed, as both cattle and horses were
inside. All had gone quietly and as usual till
about ten at night, when suddenly shots were
heard. We sprang up in the greatest hurry,
thinking the enemy were upon us, and got our

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revolver from under the coat which served as
a pillow. The sight that met our eyes sur-
passes all description, men were fighting at the
foot of the slight earthwork to get in. Cries
were uttered all round. Still thinking the
Zulus were on us, we were looking among the
struggling mass to pick out something to
shoot. To our surprise we saw nothing but
white men. Of course we then saw it was a
scare, and got on a waggon to look round.
What we saw, though ludicrous, was shameful.
The demon panic was on everyone nearly.
Down the side of the laager, however, the 13th
were in their places, steady as a rock; the
90th were falling in rapidly. The Basutos
were perched upon the waggons laughing and
full of excitement. The Native Irregulars
were rushing into the laager, and were being
vigorously bayonetted by the 80th, it was
impossible nearly to tell them from the enemy,
they were yelling like demons. At other
points the sight was by no means so reassur-
ing — men huddled together in the extremity
of fear, the exertions of the ofl&cers alone
prevented any firing. We saw eight men, or

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rather boys clinging together sobbing pitifully,
while a stalwart sergeant was ordering them
to their places, and banging into them with the
butt-end of a rifle to enforce his commands.
Many men took refuge among the cattle and
horses ; a native who was guarding the cattle
was there, and imagining that the enemy were
attacking, stood in shade of a bullock with his
shield up and assegai poised ; the men rushing
among the horses, in their turn, took him for
a Zulu, and recoiled in affright. One man,
who from his rank should have known better,
was sleeping under a mimosa bush, he jumped
up singing out, "Lord help us!" a thorn of
the bush run into his side, " I am assegaid 1 I
am assegaid !" said he, dashed over the earth-
work, and tearing one man's face with his
boot, jumped over the disselboom of the
waggon and took refuge among the horses.
It took some time to assure him that he was
not injured. Another man made a dive to get
through the spokes of a waggon-wheel, he
stuck fast, and one of the men who was on the
top of the waggon rousing up, saw this below
— ^he began at once to lay into the unfortunate

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fellow who roared and kicked to no purpose.
Another man, three parts asleep, instead of
making for the laager staggered into the bush
until he hit his head against a stump and
reaUy got roused. Many men were stuck like
the ram in the thicket in the abattis. Many
tales of this sort could be told, but it is
important, not on account of its ludicrous as
its shameful side. Short service was here on
its trial, and in a few short moments revealed
more of its defects than at home in years.
The seasoned and old regiments, 90tli and
13th, were ready at once; the camp could
have been rushed before half the others even
got their arms. We do not suppose it was
from want of bravery or courage, but from no
feeling of confidence in themselves that caused
this. The fact is, the excessive precautions
taken had made the Zulu into a regular bogie.
Earthworks had been thrown up, three times
as strong as our slight ones were. A regiment
was constantly kept on guard with them, with
us simply the pickets. One regiment on its
march to join the column had laagered every
night, even while in Natal. This might have

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been useful to teach them, but certainly
daunted them. The men were too young alto-
gether for the work, and though the good
English stuff was in them, it wanted season-
ing to bring it out. We should have sup-
pressed this incident altogether, but it mayhap
will do something to draw attention to the
many grave defects in that curse of the service
— short service. The rest of the night was
passed peaceably.

A court-martial was held on the picket, or
some men of it, and suitable punishment
awarded. They had run in instead of feeling
the enemy before retiring. We believe they
were more afraid of their friends behind them
than the enemy in front. The cause of the
scare was this: the two spies sent out the
previous evening had no objection to the
reward, but had an objection to running any
risk. Neither knew that anyone but himself
was going. They went out, therefore, and
after getting beyond the pickets, sat down
quietly under a tree each. Wood's spy was
doubtless making up a plausible tale to bring
back to that officer in the morning, when he

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saw Newdigate's spy ; he immediately shot at
him and made off. Newdigate's man fired at
random and ran in at the picket. The case
may be vice versd, but that was then the
version of the affair.

This morning the Zulus again occupied the
bluff, and annoyed all much. The time for the
answer to the ultimatum expired at twelve.
Within thirty-six hours after this the cavalry
action, or skirmish of the 3rd, and the battle
of Ulundi took place. At eleven orders came
to saddle up, and at twelve we were in the
saddle ready to dash across the river the mo-
ment the hour came.

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CHAPTEK X.

A T five minutes to twelve, Colonel BuUer
-^ and Lord William Beresford came can-
tering down to us. We were halted just at
the edge of the drift. This ford was some
half-mile below the regular crossing. It may
be remembered that the other ford was com-
manded by a large bluflf, which rose immedi-
ately below it. This bluflf fell off in a gradual
decline as far as the crossing opposite to which
we now stood, so that, once on the other side,
a gallop of half a mile would bring us right on
to the crest of the bluflF, and above the enemy's
sharpshooters who lined its river front. From
this front, covered with rocks, had come the
shots which had so annoyed us the previous
day. All this edge of the river between the
two fords was in sight of the laager, some

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1,500 yards off in fact. Looking back, one
could see all the waggons crowded with ofl&cers
and men ; everyone knew that all we did was
to be done in sight of the whole column.

The object of this cavalry reconnaissance
was twofold, first, to turn out those of the
enemy who were in the bluff, and who had so
troubled us — ^these were the fellows who had
come down within rifle-shot of a whole army
and bearded it for an entire day — ^the second
object was to proceed as far as possible with
comparative safety on the road to Ulundi, and
to observe the ground most careftdly on all
sides ; this would enable Lord Chelmsford to
choose his own ground on which to fight on
the morrow. We now purpose to show how
these objects were effected. The Colonel sat
looking at his watch, as the hands pointed to
twelve the order "forward" was given ; plung-
ing in, a moment or two brought us to the
opposite shore ; the water was shallow, not
over two feet or so deep, the crossing, there-
fore, was easy and safe.

Immediately on gaining the opposite bank,
one portion of the command turned sharply to

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the left, their orders were to clear the bluff
and hold the other ford. By this means there
would always be a retreat open to the other
and larger party. This first and smaller party,
with which we will cast our fortunes, consisted
of about one hundred of " Baker s Horse," led
by Captain and Commandant Baker. Holding
to the left, they galloped up to the gentle rise
along the edge of the river ; the ground was
pitted with holes and thick with aloes, mimosa,
and other tropical shrubs, steinbok and duiker
lay thick among them, and bounded up beneath
our horses' feet, eyeing us with affrighted
glance. The aloes through which we passed
tore our clothes to pieces, however there was
no time to stitch holes in clothes. As we
drew near the enemy they still made no move,
and we began to suspect a trap ; the fact was,
the Zulus had no idea that we had crossed the
stream, nor did they dream we would do so,
save with a much larger force. They probably
thought that the party which had moved to
the lower ford merely went down to water
their horses, (on each of the previous days we
had done so at the same time), so moving

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forward quickly, and dasHng through the
aloes, we were among them and on to them
before they were ready for us. About thirty
were hastily collecting on the crest of the bluflF
and let fly, but in a moment went under.
Eunning to the brow of the hill, leaving our
well-trained horses to breathe themselves, just
under us we saw the enemy bolting in all
directions from their hiding-places in the
precipitous sides. A volley makes some go
down, and the others rush back again into
their holes in the rocks; we scramble down
and begin ferreting them out from their cran-
nies. As they rush out they fire hastily, we
do the same, and if we miss they are shot by
those of our men just above us on the verge of
the precipice. One fellow we unearthed had
made himself remarkably comfortable, he had
got some straw to sit on, a bough bent over
his head to shield him from the sun, tobacco
and snuflf in a crevice just beside him. He
had made quite a home in this place in the
rocks, and was quite protected from any fire
from the laager side of the river ; a convenient
stone found him an excellent rest for his rifle,

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which, by the way, was a Martini. He might
rest assured that from there he could beard an
army and be unhurt. He fired, missed, and
went under to rise no more. One fellow slipped
through us and made off down the hill at a
ripping pace. He passed through a shower of
of bullets, got cover, turned and fired, killing
a horse ; then off again, running the gauntlet
well ; just as he crossed a pool of water he was
shot by Captain Baker, and fell headlong,
purpling the stream with his blood. Five of
the enemy took advantage of his bolt and
made off toward the hills, distant some mile
and a quarter. On the top of these hUls the
Zulus were rapidly concentrating in dense
masses. These five were pursued by the same
number of Irregulars, four were lolled and one
captured within rifle-shot of at least a thousand
of the enemy. The prisoner was brought back,
and while doing so another Zulu jumped from
behind a bush, fired, missed, and died with a
curse on his lips. The corps were drawn up,
and preparations made to carry out Colonel
Buller's order. While this was being done,
the prisoner, who was secured by a valise strap

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round his throat, attempted to take his captor's
revolver from his pocket-pouch ; he had just
got it out, when he was seen by a man riding
behind him and shot. The prisoners were
always the same, ready to sting like wasps
whenever they got the chance.

A small party were sent forward to tell
Colonel Buller of the massing of the enemy on
his left rear; with these we will rejoin the
Colonel's own body of men. This consisted of
the Frontier Light Horse, Mounted Infantry,
Raafe's, Whalley's and the Basutos. They were
in fact all that was serviceable of the Irregular
Horse after a long and arduous campaign.
This party had gone on in a straight line from
the ford to Ulundi, then inclined to the left,
so as to get on the main highway ; this they
did just at Kanodwengo kraal, driving some
Zulus out of it. Advancing, they found them-
selves in an open plain covered with long
grass, which went from Kanodwengo to Ulundi,
only broken by a small stream. Going forward
some distance they had a perfect opportunity
of seeing and observing the country, thus
accomplishing the second part of the pro-

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gramme. Just immediately beyond this, in-
deed, was the ground selected for the fight of
the morrow, and on this ground it was fought
actually. Here a few Zulus were seen driving
a large flock of goats towards the hills. Ad-
vancing rapidly to capture these, they see a
few more Zulus, one of whom Lord William
Beresford pursued and overtook, and proved
the superiority of the sword over the assegai ;
the man was cut down, right through shield
and all, in sight of everyone. All were eager
to capture the goats and bring them in, spoil
of UlundL The vigilant Colonel saw they did
not appear to be in any great hurry; he
inmiediately suspected a trap and called,
" Halt and fire without dismounting, they are
foxing," this was done by the leading troop,
when suddenly from the grass three thousand
Zulus sprung up and fired ; it was a cleverly
laid plot, and must have been nearly sponta-
neous, and was within an ace of being success-
ful. If there had been any dismounting, or a
further advance, there would have been many
killed ; the enemy, who were in a semi-circle,
could have rushed us before we could mount.

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Lying in the long grass they were completely
invisible ; as it was, from a volley fired at a
hundred and fifty yards, only half-a-dozen
men and horses were knocked over, most of
the shots as usual went high. It was miracu-
lous, yet not the less true. Here were some
two or three thousand men, armed with rifles,
many of them good ones, firing at some two or
three hundred men at one hundred and fifty
yards, and doing only so little damage ; every
bullet has it billet, but where these went is a
wonder. The enemy poured in another volley,
three men were dismounted ; to one of them
the Adjutant of the Light Horse gave his
horse, the fellow immediately rode off and left
his preserver in the plsiin ; the Adjutant had
extreme difficulty in escaping, of course ; the
man he saved and who treated him so badly
was a German. The Zulus were advancing
rapidly, yet Lord William Beresford turned
his horse's head and rode back, resolved to
save life or lose his own. The man he went
to rescue was a huge trooper of the Light
Horse, his horse was shot^ and he himself was
giddy with pain. Here took place the scene

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wliicli everyone in England knows of. On
reaching, him, Lord William ordered him to
mount behind him, the man either did not
hear or did not understand, and hesitated;
Lord William jumped off his own horse and
told him if he did not mount he would punch
his head ; with difficulty the man obeyed and
mounted behind him, and thus they rode off.
All this took place while the Zulus were racing
over the one hundred and fifty yards that
separated them from the pair, it, therefore,
occupied but little time, enough, however, to
earn two or more V.C.'s. Commandant Cecil
D'Arcy, who had earned his V.C. over and
over on the Zlobane day, and who, though
then recommended for the decoration, did not
get it as he was an Irregular, now earned it
again. He likewise rode back to save a dis-
mounted and stunned man, he jumped off his
horse and attempted to lift the man bodily into
the saddle, this he could not do, and while
trying severely strained his back, so severely,
indeed, as to have to miss the battle of the
next day ; probably the first fight for three
years he had missed in South. Afirica. The

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Zulus closed on him rapidly, and he was only
just able, crippled as he was, to avoid them
and get away, even without accomplishing his
object.

The rear files of the retreating Irregulars
now turned round, and began to check the
pursuit of the enemy with their fire. Mean-
while an order was sent by Colonel Buller to
Commandant Baker to stand firm at all
hazards and keep the ford. Encouraged by
the success of their comrades, the men threat-
ening Commandant Baker descended from the
hills and advanced to dislodge that officer.
It became a question of time whether Colonel
BuUer's party could reach the ford, turning
and firing as they were before Captain Baker's
party were driven back, as they eventually
must be. Advancing a little, Captain Baker
selected a better position, halted, and began to
exchange shots with the advancing enemy on
his left. Just at this moment the leading
files of Colonel BuUer came in sight in Baker's
front, over the brow of the low eminence on
which stood Kanodwengo kraal ; soon we see
them all come over the brow and by the edge

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of the kraaJ, Colonel Buller we could see in
the rear, now and then giving the word to halt
and fire. Lord William Beresford was there
with his just rescued man behind him, a
ludicrous sight enough, two men, one of them
a giant almost, mounted on Lord William's
small pony. Very soon the rear files clear
Kanodwengo kraal and begin to descend the
slope, the red of the mounted infantry mingled
with the more sombre uniform of the Irregu-
lars. Commandant Eaafe (ably seconded by
Captain Weldon, an old Central Indian man),
conspicuous as usual by his splendid and cool
courage ; Commandant Raafe had seen many a
fierce border fray in his time. Now the
advance of the Zulus appear round the comer
of the kraal, but are saluted by such a fire
that they give back; only for a moment
though, for a second later they again rush
forward and open into skirmishing order.
Coming down the hill they are exposed to a
fire from those on the opposite slope. Now
the Colonel's men cross the stream and begin
to come up to, and pass. Baker's party, these
latter still firing at the enemy on front and on

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the left. By this time we see that all is rights
and that the Colonel has again brought off his
men all safe, with slight loss and a complete
fulfilment of the objects of his expedition.
The Colonel's men cross the river and take up
a position behind it to let Baker's party cross.
The latter now descends from his position and
rides down the path to the river ; the Basutos
scattered, as is their wont, everjrwhere, are
firing furiously and at large. With a noble
disregard of the difference between friend and
foe, they fire their rifles with one hand, the
muzzle describing a wavering and uncertain
circle embarassing and unsatisfactory to those
who, like us, were somewhere in the direction
they were aiming at. One fellow, as he rode
down the hill, had his rifle at the slope, and
was feeding it with cartridges .without ever
taking it from that position. Every time the
rifle went off he gave a howl of delight ; how
deaf he must have got with the muzzle so near
his ear. We were behind this man, and be-
tween him and the enemy ; he, no doubt, was
something like that Scotchman, who, after
Balaclava, boasted he had killed a man, but he

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was "no sure but it were a dam Turk".
While the last party cross the rirer, the water
SQemed to hiss and boil with the bullets from
the enemy, now but a few yards off; of course
your horse is thirsty and wants to drink with
a most complacent disregard of danger. Once
on this side the river a sort of small-arm duel
begins across its flood, till an order comes
down from the leader to cease firing and re-
turn to the laager, distant some fourteen
hundred yards. A parting shot and this is
done. Just as we mount a fellow steps from
the tall reeds on the river's edge and deliber-
ately fires, an officer called out "Rest your
rifle in the fork of that tree and shoot that
fellow/* the ball struck the Zulu in the brain
and he bounded into the air and fell clutching
in the golden sand.

On coming in and making up the butcher's
bill, the extent of the loss is seen luckily more
in horse-flesh than men. There were some
very ugly wounds, one man was shot just
over the breast and one could see his heart
beating almost. This was done by a potleg,
or something of that sort ; of course it proved

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mortal As usual there were many narrow
shaves; one man was left in the enem/s
hands a prisoner, but it was of course un-
avoidable.

In half-an-hour the horses were out, and in
an hour the men were at dinner, and the
portion of the laager belonging to us resumed
its ordinary appearance. Indeed, if a stranger
went through the camp, he would not re-
cogm'se the fact that the men chaffing each
other and laughing away had a few minutes
previously been in jeopardy of their lives.
Use soon renders all callous. Some of the
youngest and newest of the reinforcements
came down to look at the Irregulars they had
just seen engaged ; they were hugely disgusted
to see the men eating heartily and grunting at
each other, instead of talking about their late
adventure.

The rest of the afternoon passed quietly
enough, rifles were cleaned and pouches refilled.
Towards evening General Wood paraded his
division, and told them that to-morrow he
intended to cross the river, and there would
doubtless be a battle, which would be fought

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in hollow square. He told them that the
Zulus said, that as long as the 24th Regiment
at Isandula fought in square nothing could be
done to them. The General said that, as well
he might, he had the greatest confidence in
them, and told them he did not doubt the
issue of the battle. This was greeted with a
ringing cheer. Arrangements were then made
as to those to be left behind, the l-24th and
some others were selected for the defenders of
the laager. The laager had been previously-
surrounded by an earthwork banking up the
waggons to above the wheels ; by this it could
be defended by much fewer men, and the loss
in the event of an attack would be much
smaller. The shelter-trench that had pre-
viously ran round the laager was thus des-
troyed, and two earthworks had to be made
in the four days. If the General could have
only made up his mind. Throughout the
whole of this war poor Tommy Atkins had to
suffer for this indecision, and many a useless
yard of earthwork has he ran up only jto level
as useless the next day. This applies more
especially to the head-quarter column, General

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Wood in ours was too careful of his men to
work them thus unnecessarily. Some spy-
soon took over the announcement of our
crossing to the Zulus, who came down to the
river and chaffed us. They told us we had
been beaten that day and would be the next,
that they would allow us to get well into the
plain before they attacked us, and then that
not a man of us would escape. We told them.
" Wait a bit, old fellows, and see, mayhap it
won't be so onesided an affair as you imagine.'^
A laugh of derision was our answer, and then
they chaff away again. Soon all grows still
at the river's bank, but we hear the shout of
triumph and exultation swell forth as the news
reaches kraal after kraal. At last the hated
invader is about to hazard the final cast, to-
morrow they will place themselves voluntarily
in our power, and we shall be for ever rich
with their spoil, the men whose rifles have
kiUed our people will now be themselves the
victims. This seemed the burden of their
song. It was really splendid the belief these
men had in themselves. Our feeling was
something similar to a man with a good book

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on a race, who knows he has a real good thing
on, and cannot help smiling as he sees his
opponents also confident of victory. How the
news got across or who was the spy was not
discovered, but the news got across to the
Zulus in less than an hour. AU the early part
of the night the enemy seemed to be marching
and counter-marching from kraal to kraal, and
singing their war-songs. We afterwards found
out they had a big drink that night on kafl&r
beer (utywala). They seemed to stop a con-
siderable time at one place, and their howls
there were terrific. It seems that here they
tortured and finally put to death the poor
white prisoner they had taken in the morning;
what his feelings must have been as the
demons captured him. The kafc beer looks
remarkably like a certain English compound,
thin gruel or skilly-go-lee, it tastes sour, but
is refreshing on a hot day. The Zulus man-
age to get very drunk on that, and we have
seen it positively running out of the mouths
of some we have killed.

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CHAPTER XI.

T7ERY early in the morning our preparations
^ are made, and long before dawn we are
in the saddle and at the drift we crossed by
at twelve on the previous day. The infantry
and guns are to cross by the upper drift, a
force holds the laager and the fort which
commands it, with several guns also; the
cattle are left in laager with all the sick horses,
and all things left snug. It seems to be just
a toss up if the Zulus wiU hazard all on a
desperate attack on those who cross, or prefer
the easier and more lucrative work of sacking,
if they can, the laager. Each of us carry a
day and half's provisions in the saddle-bag.
Every man also carries one hundred rounds of
ball-cartridge, there is also a large reserve of
ammunition in the few waggons that ac-

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company the infantry. The force, crossing the
river, consists of besides Irregulars, some
Lancers, the number we do not know, and
a few Dragoons as cavalry. Of artillery
there were five guns of Colonel Harness's
battery, aU 7-pounders, two Gatlings and five
guns of Major Le Grice's battery — 9 -pounders.
The Kegiments were six companies of the
l-13th Light Lafantry; two companies of the
2l8t; five companies of the 80th Kegiment;
seven companies of the 90th Kegiment; six
companies of the 94th Kegiment, and the 58th
Kegiment. We do not quite know if any of
the 2-24th Kegiment were there.

We soon get the order to cross the river,
and in a few moments we are on the other
side. We cross a little before the Infantry-
cross at their ford. Advancing, we ride along
a narrow path, which leads from our ford on
to the main road. As early as we are up the
vultures are ahead of us, and they rise, already
nearly gorged, from the corpses of the men
kiUed the day before. We see a good many
bodies, mostly those of men wounded, and
who had died after reaching the path; they

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had been makmg for the high road but had
perished before getting there. The distance
men will go with even such an ugly wound as
a firactured knee-joint is amazing ; on one oc-
casion we came across a man who had crawled
eight miles with such a wound. On reaching
the road we divide into troops, and spread out
in a circle round the infantry. From our posi-
tion we cannot see the latter, but know they
have crossed ; poor fellows, it was a bad pre-
paration getting wet fording the river. On
reaching the other side they have to get into
position, which they do just beyond the bluflf.
The advance is again sounded, and we go on
again. Our particular position was to the left
front of the line of march, but a considerable
distance from it. Nothing, so far, is to be
seen, but a few bodies now and then marking
the conflict of the 3rd. On passing Kano-
dwengo kraal the enemy are seen gathering on
the surrounding hills rapidly, yet keeping out
of sight in a measure ; for they evidently do
not consider us far enough in the plain to
attack us. Many small bodies leave the kraals
and join the various Zulus regiments concen-

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trating on the hills. Again we halt, and
looking through a field-glass at the distant
enemy, are amazed to find how quickly the
small companies seem to be swelling to strong
regiments. Evidently there is to be a fight,
but the question is will they attack us or we
them. As we again proceed, they march along
the hills in a line parallel to our advance. A
message to the Colonel gives us a chance to
see what the arrangements are on the other
side. The Frontier Light Horse are in front,
and Whalley's and the Basutos on the right
front and right. Colonel Buller is constantly
going from one to another troop. On the
right the same gathering of Zulus is to be
seen as on the left. Instead of on the hills they
are massing in the bush, and on the banks of
the little river Nodwengive. Another large
body are collecting again at Ulundi. Eiding
back, we find that soon we shall be engaged,
the enemy have left the hills and are now
marching at their base. We next come across
the bodies of those of our men killed by the
big volley of the day before. They are naked,
and have the usual Zulu c(ywp de grace. Two

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or three horses are about, and worse than all,
the body of the poor prisoner, tied to a sort of
stake, and tortured and mutilated in a fearful
manner. This sight is not quite the one cal-
culated to animate one with a spirit of mercy,
and threats loud and deep are uttered on the
perpetrators.

Now the head of the column appears in
view, just as the morning sun appears over
the hills. It is a pretty sight enough that we
look on, the bright steel of the bayonets, the
red uniforms of the infantry, and the flutter-
ing pennons of the Lancers. Over yonder,
where the Zulus are quickly gathering, aU is
gloom as yet; they lie under the shadow of
the mountain. Now we again move forward
over places where the enemy seem to have
buried some of their valuables. We find the
long grass in places woven together so as to
trip over our horses, pits have been dug and
covered over with a coarse kind of creeping
grass. This was evidently done to entrap the
horsemen. The square in the meantime ad-
vances, moving briskly on — ^what a sight it
was. The square is loose at present, but it is

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of such a description that a few moments
could close the ranks. The guns march par-
allel to the men; the regular cavalry some
little distance ahead; in the centre are the
ammunition waggons, water-carts and am-
bulances ; the colours of all the various regi-
ments are flying, the first time for many days,
and the bands play them into action. The
stirring music vibrates through all hearts, and
makes one impatient for the battle so soon to
come. Not long have we now to wait, the
square nearly reaches the ground for the fight.
Lord Chelmsford says to Colonel Buller, "Shall
we fight here." " No, a;little further on," is
the reply. The mass moves to the position
indicated, and after some alteration in the
formation, the guns get into position and are
loaded; the ammunition boxes are opened,
doctors get out their instruments, and all is
ready. Will they walk into the trap ? is now
the question, surely it's a transparent ruse.
In the meantime we are not idle, but are still
in advance of the column. The Zulus now
emerge from the base of the hills and strike
across towards us. Looking round we see the

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same thing occurring on the other side. Now
Colonel Buller comes up, " Send twenty men
to ride up close to those fellows, and draw
them on, don't let anyone dismount, and mind
that donga to your right." Captain Parminter
goes therefore with those twenty men, and we
will go with him. On seeing such a small band
coming, the Zulus open out, and immediately
set a trap for us. They send a body down the
donga Colonel Buller referred to a moment
ago. Even playing for such a stake as they
were, they cannot help trying for even so small
a trick. We ride close up to them and fire at
them, more with the idea of enraging them
than of doing any damage. It succeeds;
furious at being bearded by so small a body,
they fire at random and advance. Ah ! there it
is, one fellow, a pigheaded German gets down,
in spite of orders, to fire. Terrified at the
shouts and rush of the Zulus, the horse plunges
and will not let its rider mount; the man
himself, nervous enough now, sees the full
extent of his danger. Captain Parminter rides
up to him with another, and helps the man
to mount; now they turn, for there's only

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just time to get away. As they turn to go,
the Zulus, some of whom had crept down the
donga, redouble their exertions to cut them
off, the rest of the men being safe. These last
three ride at a furious pace over the ground,
knowing that one false step is certain death.
The place is pitted with the artificial holes dug
and covered by the enemy, and the grass
plaited. It seems wonderful, but these were
safely crossed without mishap and again they
are safe. The rifle shots resound all round the
square from the Irregulars as they draw on
the enemy. Effectually they have done it
now, and turning they ride for the shelter of
the square to avoid that storm they have
raised. Very pretty the square seemed, lying
there so motionless and still in the morning
sun. How soon is the change to be made,
and the whole face of it flash and grow pale
with the volleys and smoke. Already the
artillery are at it hard, and the shells scream
over our heads as we ride for the square.
Squish 1 goes a rocket for Ulundi, hit it fairly
as I live, and in a second a hut is in a blaze,
but is quenched. The shells drop among the

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advancing enemy, but as they are mostly in
skirmishing order the damage done is slight.
A second more we are in the square, the
infantry opening to let us through, we then
dismount and have time to look round us.
Not then did we think how pretty the square
looked as we rode down to it. Within all is
busy and stern. The artillerymen are stand-
ing to their guns, the infantry ready, and the
cavalry standing by their horses. Down comes
the advancing rush of Zulus, and now the
musketry fire opens and the leaden hail sweeps
the ground. By Jove, how can any living
thing stand before that awful fire ? Overhead
the bullets are screaming hoarsely, each with a
different note. The sharper ring of the Mar-
tini plainly to be told from the duller sound of
the Snider. The rough' cast bullets of the
Enfields and long elephant guns sing a regular
psean, while the potlegs and wire literally howl
^in their course. If we are to be hit to-day let
it be with a rifle ball if possible. The unmis-
takable thud of bullets as they strike horse or
man is now often heard. Horses spring up
into the air , as they are struck, sometimes

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cr3naig in their agony. A stretcher party, the
pillow already deeply dyed passes us. All
things seem in pretty good form now, so we
can take a walk round the square. We do so
and see things worth seeing. The position of
the square may be described as follows : it was
some eleven hundred yards from Kanodwengo
kraal, and about eighteen hundred from Ulundi
Its front looked towards the latter and the
right rested opposite the former. It was on
the top of the least possible rise, but was
surrounded by taU grass that much embarrassed
the rifles. Just for a few yards outside the
square, the grass had been hastily beaten down
by the men's feet. It wiU be seen that it was
within rifle shot of Kanodwengo kraal. The
square was constituted as follows. Its shape
was oblong, one of the two shorter sides was
occupied by five companies of the 80th Kegi-
ment, having two seven-pounder guns of
Colonel Harness' battery placed in the centre.
The west side which was longer, was composed
of the 90th Light Infantry and the 58 th
Eegiment having two nine-pounder guns of
Major Le Grice's battery in the middle. Two

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Gatlings were placed at the comer between
the 80th and 90th Regiments. The third side,
which was of the same length as that occupied
by the 80th Regiment, was made up of some
companies of the 21st Regiment. The Lancers
were immediately behind them, and two nine-
pounders of Major Le Grice's battery in the
centre, while another nine-pounder of the
same battery separated them from the fourth
side ; here were stationed the 94th Regiment
with six companies of the 13th Light Infantry.
Between the 94th and 13th were two of
Colonel Harness' seven-pounders, and another
was at the comer between the 13th and 80th.
The ranks were two deep, but there was a
moving chain of supports that went round as
required. Some Irregulars and the Dragoons
and mounted Basutos were drawn up behind
the 80th. Each man held his bridle and stood
to his horse's head. They had ample leisure
to see what was going on, and their comments
were most amusing. The Basutos were great
fun, they had attacked the Zulus on the side
between Kanodwengo and Ulundi with deter-
mined bravery and great dash. Reluctantly

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driven in they had come to the square and got
in. At first they did not like it much, they
would even have rather made a desperate
efibrt to break through the chain of enemies.
At last they came in, and once inside their
admiration was extreme. One man, Sky^ by
name, who spoke very good English, said,
" This grand. Englishman says, come in Johnie,
sit down, eatum buscuit, we fight, then make
a laager of their own bodies, that good Eng-
lishman brave man. Englishman love poor
Johnie." Having done more than their share
of work hitherto, they could hardly believe all
they had now to do was to look on. At Kam-
bula they would not enter the laager, but
during the whole action they remained outside,
and harrassed the flanks of the enemy. The
attitude of the miserable Natal Kaffirs or
Native Contingent was in striking contrast to
this. Down flat on the ground they lay, face
downwards and their shields on their backs, in
the most pitiable alarm, making the most
hideous noises expressing their fright. Their
officers were looking on and laughing at their
fears, but nothing would reassure them. They

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were finnly convinced that their last hour was
come ; yet these very men that night boasted
of their exploits in the most astounding way.
One of the Basutos said that as they met the
advance of the Zulus, the enemy called out
** Now we have you at last, some few of the
mounted men among you may get away, but
the red soldiers will all die". In our walk
round the square we see that the ammunition
waggons and water-carts are all most advanta-
geously placed by those in charge. The
doctors are busy at work with the red cross
of St. George flying overhead. Army Hospital
men are busy bringing them patients. Archi-
bald Forbes, who had laid a level hundred
there would be no fight, is there, looking not
one whit dismayed at its loss ; he stands with
note-book and pencil in hand, taking in every-
thing at a glance, and knowing probably more
about the business in hand than any one there.
Melton Prior is moving about also, sketch-book
and pencil busily occupied, surely a picture
worth drawing was he now looking on. Eight
well the spirit of the thing was caught, as his
pictures some few weeks later proved. There

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too was the clergyman, Mr. Coar, who was
standing at the head of a grave, quietly read-
ing the burial service while the bullets whistled
overhead. A touching picture enough as the
bodies were laid in the hastily made grave — ^it
was a certainly unique position for an army
chaplain. However necessity has no law and
it may be necessary to move forward at once.
There are the Gatlings just up there, working
busily, making a queer clicking noise as they
are fired. Let us go up and see them. There
gather a few Zulus, about eighteen or so ; in a
moment the deadly barrels are levelled, and
they disappear like a snow-wreath. A wounded
artilleryman is sitting on the ground, he re-
fuses to be removed to the hospital, but busies
himself in filling the drums as they are
emptied ; there is his blood on the barrels of
one of them where he fell after receiving his
hurt. Now comes the word passed from man
to man down the ranks, " Pass a Gatling this
way," and off goes one. We heard that both
went out of action afterwards from the same
cause, namely the slipping out of a pin or bolt.
As in both cases the pins fell into long grass.

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186

it took some time to recover them. It was a
fault in the mechanism and not an inherent
defect of construction, and the effect of these
little weapons when held from the tops of a
ship, the parapets of a fort, or in the field in
position, must be wonderful. Passing through
the crowded square between ambulances and
ammunition waggons we see Lord Chelmsford
and his staff. Further on our own commander,
Colonel Buller, with the inevitable telescope,
sitting motionless on his horse. Then General
Wood and his staff, next General Newdigate
with his. The number of mounted oflficers in
the square was large, and it is a great wonder
that more were not hit, considering that all or
the greater portion of the bullets were going
high above our heads. Colonel Glyn we next
see, and many other well known faces. Colonel
Glyn's adjutant, or staff officer, we forget
which, was hit twice while on horseback. His
galloper, Lieut. Phipps, was also wounded.

Now we are again back to our place and by
our horse ; any one of ours hit ? No, only
three horses and one trooper so far, and he
only in the leg. Climbing into the saddle we

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get a good view of what is going forward.
The long grass hides our view in a great
measure, but we see the formation of the
enemy plainly for all that. They seem to be
in a large mass all round at various distances.
A large mass is in Kanodwengo kraal, and
puffs of white smoke break from all round it.
An immense body several thousands strong,
are stationed at the bluff which commands
the ford the infantry crossed by this morning.
They are waiting there to cut us off when we
shall have to break and disperse in all di-
rections. For all we know they are going to
attack the laager and we intently listen to
hear the big guns over there ; the din and roar
in our position is however too great for us to
catch anything. The body of the enemy
whom we had drawn on were still enduring
the leaden hail and not quailing, but replying
briskly. Standing up in our stirrups we can
see many of the enemy quite close to us
within fifty yards of the square ; these the
rear files, though standing up, cannot see on
account of the long grass. One man we saw
lying in the grass some thirty yards off, he

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remained motionless for about a minute while
a regular tornado of bullets whizzed over his
head, then he seemed to decide not to face
that any longer and quietly crept back— r
whether he got off or not we of course do not
know.

From the Ulundi direction large masses of
the enemy are lying in the grass, and affording
no mark save at the smoke of their volleys.
They are firing briskly away, but as every-
where else, are aiming high. Now and again
the bugle goes " cease firing," to let the smoke
clear away, and some of the regiments are
hard to stop. The fact seems to be that these
very perfect and marvellously quick-shooting
rifles, cause a tendency to hasty and iU-directed
firing. A man has one hundred rounds of
cartridge about him, and he thinks that he
may fire ad libitum. It is simply amazing
how very quickly one gets through even so
large a number of cartridges. It seems a
great pity that firing by volleys is not more
universally carried out than it is ; a really
well-directed volley simply blasts and withers
away everything before it, while individual

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firing neither does that amount of damage nor
produces that moral effect that the volleys do.
Some men seemed to get so excited, those
young soldiers especially so, and their officers
have the utmost difficulty in making them
obey the bugle call. "Look at him there,
Jack, slap at him," we hear a man say. Jack
obeys, though a second before an officer has
spoken to him on the same subject. In some
papers we read how at Ulundi whole voUeya
were wasted, we cannot go quite as fax, though
there undoubtedly was a fearful expenditure
of ammunition. The number of rounds fired
by our men was some thirty-five thousand
exclusive of artillery fire. For this there was
no corresponding return of killed enemy.
Probably soiiie twelve hundred were left dead>
or in all two thousand killed and wounded, by
artillery, rifles, sword and lance, and the
assegais of the Native contingent. Looking
again, we see that the enemy seem to be mov-
ing round us, outside a certain undefined sort
of circle. They appear to be looking for an
opening of some sort to rush .in. The bolder
spirits gather for a rush, come on and are

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swept off or seem to melt away. Right over
them we now look towards the camp, we left
some days previously on the Magnumbonum
heights. We know well there are many a
look from there over to us and many an
anxious heart as the cannons are heard from
our square. A large Zulu reserve, as it ap-
pears, we see on the hills on the left, they are
evidently waiting to come down and entrap us
when we break Afar off over the kraal with
a broad path down to it, Nedabakacubi by
name, we see another reserve. We learned
afterwards that Cetewayo and the white trader
Viju were there. If we had only known it at
that time we could have made a vigorous effort
in that direction in the pursuit, and might
have captured the King some time before he
was eventually taken. He was on the direct
road for the newly built Manzekane kraal,
where it was reported most of his valuables
were, and which was supposed to be strongly
fortified. It was distant some seventeen miles
from us. Begging a pipe of tobacco, for our
own was done long before, we light up and
take another walk round. An hour before we

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might have begged in vain for tobacco, but
the knowledge that the possessor may be
knocked over every minute, and the openness
of heart engendered by so glorious a spectacle
makes our request be gratified. Down to the
ambulance we go, and see a good many men
lying about, and the stretchers more bloody
than they were when we saw them last ; the
doctors hard at work, binding up skilfully and
rapidly, the dhooly bearers in the most abject
state of funk. Here we see poor Lieutenant
Pardoe of the 1-1 3th, a most promising officer,
brought in. Soon after we go up again and
see a Natal Pioneer officer get a close shave
through his helmet. Colonel Drury Lowe gets
knocked of his horse by a spent bullet about
this time. The firing seems more rapid just
now, and the enemy seem gathering for a last
rush. A sort of surging wave goes through
the grass all round, is received with fearful
volleys, wavers, then breaks and again opens
out and begins to fire. Hurrah ! that decides
it all, the most determined rush is broken, and
again we breathe. Now down come an order
from the General. " Lancers out," the orders

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"stand to your horses — ^prepare to mount —
mount," are given, and all the Lancers are in
their saddles. Then another piece of indecision
comes, and down they get again. Another
sKght rush of the enemy takes place; then
"Lancers out," comes again, this time in
earnest. The Lancers spring into the saddle,
the infantry open and let them out. Down
comes General Wood looking as pleased as
possible to us, " All mounted men out," and in
an instant we are oflf. The enemy halt a
second, waver and then fly — ^the battle of
Ulundi is over and the pursuit begins.

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CHAPTER XII.

TTP into the saddle without a moment's
^ delay, gather up the reins and pass
quickly through the infantry who have done
their work so well, ours is now about to begin.
They give us a cheer as they wipe the perspir-
ation that runs down their sunburnt cheeks.
The Lancers, who are ahead of us, have already
settled down to their work, and are riding hard
with levelled lances on the fast retreating foe.
We swing round to the right in the direction
of the hills and lose sight of them for the time
being.

All order among the enemy is gone, and
they are become utterly demoralised, flying in
small and scattered bands towards the hills.
Soon we begin to come up with them, and the
rifles once more begin to play out. Most of

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the Zulus on being overtaken turn round and
fire, using their assegais immediately after-
wards. Our men use their carbine pistol- wise.
One has to be careful and ride with a tight
rein, as every moment you pass over a body.
Some Kving men are there too, stretched out
and hiding in the long grass; they are crouched
down and trusting to escape afterwards. We
follow up the enemy till they reach the hills,
where on the slopes they rally once more, the
small bands get together and turn. A lively
little bit of musketry fire takes place, which
ends in the enemy retreating again, this time
right to the top of the steep hill, up which it
would be well nigh impossible to get. They
remain there some time, and get quite nu-
merous as each little party converges.

As we turn and ride away they give us a
parting volley, they are too shaky after their
long run to do much damage though. On the
hillside where the grass is short we find but
few bodies, and those only what we had killed
in the pursuit up the slope. When, however,
we arrive at the long grass, the bodies are very
numerous. We spread out and hunt up those

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of the enemy who are hiding. They are very
numerous, and a lively dropping fire is heard
from both Zulu and British barrels. It is diffi-
cult to imagine why these men had not taken
to their heels and bolted with their more pru-
dent comrades. Perhaps they were so ab-
sorbed loading and firing at the square, that
they had not noticed the sudden panic that
ran through their ranks. Perhaps, again, they
thought it was only a temporary giving back,
and that at the worst they might feign death
and escape when all was over. They may
have crouched in abject terror, listening to the
tornado of bullets that was sweeping over
them, and were distraught with fear ; anyhow,
they died hard, fighting to the last, no cry for
mercy or quarter escaped their lips.

The Basutos were very busy among them,
exchanging shots at random as usual, and
making things hazardous for friends and foes
alike ; I should think one of the most unplea-
sant comrades for covert shooting or grouse
driving would be a Basuto, their idea of the
line of fire is generous, and they distribute
their buUets witt charming impartiality and

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boundless hospitality. As the Zulus shot at
them they wheeled their active little ponies
and managed to escape. In one donga there
were many Zulus hid, and the Basutos were
driving them down our way. As we come
close to the edge, just below our feet, we see a
brawny Zulu with a muzzle-loading elephant
gun resting on his knee; there seems to be
something wrong, and we see him vigorously
prodding away at the nipple of his piece till it
gets clear. All this time we are just above
and behind him, and have him well covered
with our revolvers while we watch him. Plac-
ing a cap on the nipple he climbs the opposite
bank and peeps over, silently thrusting his
gun forward and resting it on the edge of the
nullah ; the whole action reminds one irre-
sistibly of deer-stalking. Just then an in-
cautious movement on our part makes him
look behind : he sees us, not soon enough to
turn round and fire though, as a revolver
bullet crashes through his back, and he rolls
down the bank dead. Another fellow comes
bounding down the donga, running from the
Basutos, he is stooped by a dragoon or mounted

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infantrjnnan, in an instant he shoots the red-
coat's horse, pierces the rider through the
thigh, crosses the nullah, stabs a doctor's
horse (we believe the doctor of the 17th Lan-
cers), a nervous start of the horse alone saving
the rider from being transfixed ; one moment
later and the gallant Zulu faUs.

The regimental dog, a cross-bred brute,
who, however, is deeply enshrined in the men^s
hearts and aflfections, distinguishes himself
greatly; he runs about, and whenever he
comes to a living Zulu barks at him furiously.
This is very useful, as many are simply
shamming dead or foxing in the grass, they
will take a pot shot at you the moment your
back is turned. The old dog will not even
look at a really dead Zulu, but if one is foxing
a good bite soon raises him to fury and to a
headlong attack on poor *Lion'; who has a
tolerable eye to his own safety. Turning
again to the square we pass a Zulu, lying to
all appearance dead, with two magnificent
assegais and a gun beside him ; Captain Baker
says: "Jump down and get those for me,"
the moment the assegais are touched the

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fellow springs up, levels his gun and fires,
missing his mark and killing Lieutenant
Addie's horse.

The effects of the shell fire was marked in
the extreme, here and there we came across
the most fearftdly mutilated bodies; the
rockets also seemed to have inflicted terrible
wounds. The dead, on the other hand, who
were slain with the Martini rifles were sin-
gularly little disfigured, a very small hole
where the bullet went in, and another rather
larger at the exit were the only marks.

Everything was by this time over, and we
quietly follow in the wake of Colonel BuUer
towards Ulundi. Down by the Httle Ulundi
Kiver we dismount to get a draught of water,
as we stoop down to drink we see, a foot from
us, a Zulu, standing in the water with his
head hidden by the overhanging rushes. It
rather startles one as you are just getting a
gulp of the much needed water, to see a
hideous face so close. Search shows five more
of these fellows in the same pool, and as they
refuse to yield the water is soon undrinkable
and bloody. Long after we hear shots, as the

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pools are searched the one aiter the other by
the native contingent. These last, after the
most abject and pitiful terror during the fight,
had mustered courage enough to rush out of
the square after the horsemen, a few Zulus
turned on them, and despite the exertions of
their European leaders they had bolted, only
to come out again when everything was done
except slaughter.

We were all moving again leisurely towards
Ulundi, in rear of Colonel Buller, when he
suddenly turned round and sang out : " Now,
then, who's first into Ulimdi?" waiving his
own undoubted right to first footing. Imme-
diately we dash off" for the kraal, distant some
quarter of a mile or so. Lord William Beres-
ford leads, and going straight as a dart for the
stiff fence round the kraal, his little pony flies
it like a bird, landing cleverly in among the
beehived shaped huts. Others more prudent
make for the top side of the kraal, where
stands the large square mud house, the late
residence of his Majesty King Ketchwayo.
Up to this we race, and jumping off, rush
through the opening and find ourselves in a

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sort of labyrinth made of tall stiff wooden
fences, over which it is impossible to climb.
This was evidently buUt to guard against a
surprise; it stretches all round the royal
house, and might be held for a long time by a
handful of resolute men against a foe who was
not possessed of artillery. Clearly he who
made it never contemplated its use, save
against a sudden rising of his clans ; the floor
it was erected on was of clay hardened like
cement, and was clean swept A lucky hit off
of the right passage brings us to the door just
behind Captain Baker; Lord William Bieres-
ford was running towards the door from an-
other direction, and though first in the kraal,
he was not foremost at the palace, if one may
stretch a point and dignify it by that name.
It was a low single-storied house built of mud-
bricks, or mud and wattle. It contained eight
rooms, and had a steep thatched roof, that the
rockets had touched but not burnt. A vigorous
kick by Captain Baker to the rude unpainted
door and we are inside, and see — ^well not
Ketchwayo, who we dreamed might possibly
have been there. The whole floor was covered

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with dead men, not flesh and blood though,
but only Champagne and square face (Geneva
or Hollands) bottles lying about in confusion.
Two springs and we seize one, alack! alack!
it is empty, another and yet another tell the
same tale, and we see that the El Dorado that
had opened for us has vanished ; but what a
royal booze poor Ketchwayo must have had
with all this. We afterwards found out that
he had had a tremendous carouse the night
before with his chiefs and leaders, indeed, tra-
dition says the royal toper, albeit a good and
seasoned bibber, got "vara fou" that night;
poor fellow, a lost battle, a lost kingdom and
a hurried flight were not the best of pick-me-
ups the next morning. However, there they
were, but, as I live, one with the cork un-
touched and the gold seal intact, Heidseck's
Dry too, just right, alas ! through a small
crack its contents have long since vanished.
Put it down, plenty of others will be sold the
same way as yourself

On first entering Captain Baker stumbled
over two bits of wooden-like substance and
kicked them out of his way; Lord William

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202

Beresford picks them up, and we see they are
two elephants' tusks, only one other is taken,
and that a small one, which Captain Baker
keeps. A large box or locker stands in a cor-
ner, a kick opens it ; one does not stand on
ceremony when looting. It is found full of
old newspapers. Illustrated London News^
Times, Standard, Graphic, and many Colonial
papers, Dutch and English, these latter all
containing references to the Zulus and Ketch-
wayo; some were five years old, and they
contained all the doings of the Boundary
Commission, the Ghaika and Galeka War,
Secocoeni's war, the annexation of the Trans-
vaal, comments on the Zulu Army and war-
like intentions of Ketchwayo, everything
tending to give him an idea of how frightened
the Colonists were of him. Then there was
an illustration of his coronation by Shepstone.
Ketchwayo was certainly not as ignorant of
the white man's intentions as is supposed, here
was a Colonial version, with comments for
years on all his actions ; they were much worn
and thumbed over. The English papera,
especially the illustrated ones, were very old.

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203

one of the oldest being an Illustrated London
News with all the pictures of the marriage of
the Prince of Wales. How strange it seemed
to look on the features of the best loved face
in England in the midst of barbarism, and
after looking on the scenes we had witnessed
one short hour before. Her Majesty opening
Parliament, scenes in the Eusso-Turkish War,
the Franco-Prussian War, some few pictures
of the old Colony War. One of these must
have roused his phlegm considerably, it was
"KaflSr Prisoners entering King Williams-
town," and represented some miserable-looking
Kaffirs escorted, with hands bound behind
their backs, by mounted volunteers. Many
others were found, too numerous to mention.

Leaving the house, we found a troop start-
ing oflf to bum a kraal still further on, the
writer was ordered by Colonel Buller to com-
mence to burn the royal kraal, which he did
with Captain Prior of the 80th (now Major)
and Captain Parminter. By these three the
10,000 huts which made up Ulundi were
burnt, no one else assisting or being near. The
huts were nearly a mile round, and were dry

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and burnt well. The burners rode from hut to
hut with flaming torches of grass, and after
hard work got everything in flames. The huts
were small and bad, save those round the
King's house for his chief wives, the others
were decidedly the worst huts we had seen in
Zululand. At the bottom comer there was a
splendid pile of skins ready to make into
shields.

After the burning is over we have some time
to rest, and go about looking for loot, a freshly
turned up piece of soil attracts us, and sticking
the assegai we happen to have into the groimd
it rings on iron, further investigation reveals a
large slab of iron, evidently the lid of a safe ;
at last all is right, and our fortunes are made,
we think ; that fortune so oft delayed, so long
sought for. At last we find out our safe turns
out to be a large American cooking stove,
planted in the ground about a foot deep. Still
we think it must contain valuables, and pulling
the boiler lid off" discover — ^what ? well, about
the last thing we expected to see, a set of
blacking-brushes. Cruel irony, that condemned
us to see our own hopes so shattered, and by

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so ridiculous an ending. Whatever could a
Zulu do with blacking-brushes, he could not
brush his boots for the sufl&cient reason that
he had none to black. His own skin was black
enough, and sleek and shiny not to require
polishing, so what could we do with them ?
It's a conundrum we have often puzzled over ;
we have the brushes yet. After this we sit
down, and in sight of the still blazing huts
share the last bottle of champagne left us in
the world. For four long months have we
cherished that bottle to keep to celebrate the
event we are now witnessing ; through many
dangers it had passed safely, and delicious was
it now. We then write a hurried note or two
to be sent off to friends in England, to be
posted by the post that we know will leave
camp to-night, letters, by the bye, that they
never got.

It would little boot to tell of the other ad-
ventures that befel us, sufl&ce to say that we
got back to the square ; had a scrambling sort
of a lunch, and were then sent off to cover a
party of Shepstone's Basutos, who were dis-
patched to bum some distant kraals. As we

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went, we rode over a diflferent part of the field
by the Kanodwengo kraal, and saw some bodies
of mules and horses that lay dead, killed by
our shells, their riders evidently were laying
behind the kraal in wait to pounce on the
stragglers when the square was shattered by
their men's fierce attack We forgot to say
that after the pursuit, and before we went to
the kraal, we covered some guns that were
sent to dislodge the Zulus, who were in the
mountain where we had driven them, the shells
just pitched well into them as they sat looking
at us, making them again fly. Some Basutos
we saw here, said that many of the people
killed by these shells were women, who had
been looking at the fight from the hills. At
five we got back to camp thoroughly done up,
having had a hard day.

It would interest no one to know how we
left the banks of the Umvelosi Eiver the next
day, though the burial of Captain Wyatt
Edgehill's body on the night of the battle down
by the river-side was an impressive sight,
buried as he was by his sorrowing comrades in
the dead of night.

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We arrived at Magnumbonum heights on the
6th of July, Newdigate's Column having ar-
rived on the 5th. The change of temperature
was great from the warm vale to the bleak
hills, it made us very glad to get once more
under canvas. We were also rejoiced to see a
" smouch waggon," and cheerfully paid enor-
mous prices for such luxuries as sardines, jam,
preserved salmon, &c.

Our comrades, left behind on the hill, had
watched the battle anxiously on the 4th. The
rain delayed us at Magnumbonum three days,
such rain, cold as ice, and that killed oflF our
poor draught bullocks and horses literally by
the dozen; all round the camp w^ere they
lying. On the 10th we left the camp, and had
tremendous work to collect and accoimt for all
our horses, the fog and rain had driven some
miles away ; they had broken loose from the
picket-lines and got lost in the fog. One raid
had been made on the 7th by Colonel BuUer,
he started with a couple of troops at three a.m.,
and riding a whole day in the fearful rain re-
turned to camp with a fine herd of captured
cattle. On this patrol the lightning struck the

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ground close to us, and though the rank grass
was saturated with rain burned a piece clean
off. A ration of rum was served out on the
8th inst. to all hands, in honour of the victory.
On the 11th we turned off the old road by
which we advanced and reached a beautiful
mission station, Quamagasa, formerly the resi-
dence of Bishop Eobertson. It was a lovely
spot, closely planted with trees, off which we
got a quantity of lemons, the gardens also were
full of Cape gooseberries, but were soon deso-
late. Here was found the body of Lieutenant
Scott Douglas, the signalling officer, with the
body of Corporal Cotter of the l7th Lancers,
who escorted him. They had been missing
some days, having ridden from Magnumbonum
to the next fort, and returning in the fog it is
conjectured they lost their way, and falling in
with Dabulamanzi's people were killed. The
Corporal had evidently fought hard, as traces
of a terrible struggle were seen all round ;
they had been surprised while resting under a
tree. In the evening they were buried. Neither
of the bodies were mutilated in any way.
On the 13th we left Quamagasa and arrived

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at St. Paul's Mission Station on the 15th,
where Sir Garnet Wolseley joined us. The
next day the flying column was reviewed. We
had parted from Newdigate's some days pre-
viously. As our orders were to turn out as
strong as possible, the blind, the maim, and the
halt among the horses were brought out for
the march past. All day long on the 16th the
natives were bringing in guns, all Enfields,
but no Martinis.

On the 18th there was a parade, a speech
from Colonel Buller and General Wood to say
good-bye. The latter was loudly cheered, but
the Colonel came in for such an ovation as he
will probably never forget, and which moved
him enough to make his voice tremble as he
wished all good-bye. Long after he went did
we follow his figure as it went up the hill from
us. After his departure the interest in every-
thing was over, as he was the life and soul of
the column. Many an Irregular read with
honest pride the enthusiastic welcome that
England gave to Sir Evelyn Wood and Colonel
Buller, our leader and beloved chief. Not a
few but owed their lives to the latter, and right

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glad we were to see that lie got the C.M.G.
and was made A.D.C. to the Queen, honours
well deserved by him surely. Sir Evelyn also
had still further proved his undoubted ability
and made his name. The Frontier Light Horse,
our gallant comrades, also went on the 18th
from the column. We ourselves left tte day
after, and in a few days the flying column was
no more. The 13th Light Infantry left on
their way to England, the 90th Light Infantry
left for India, the 80th were to remain in the
country. For ourselves we were to march
down to Durban and there disband. So we
were to be scattered to the four comers of the
earth, and that division in which from highest
to lowest a spirit of cordial admiration, obedi-
ence and loyal co-operation had reigned, was to
be broken up.

Our orders were to march ma Ekowe and
Fort Tenedos. As soon as we left St. Paul's
we descended into a thickly wooded, luxuriant
tropical country, full of game of all sorts, and
reported to contain buffalo. The ground was
deep and heavy, and the country impassable
on either side of the road. The few kraals

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were full of natives, who seemed cheerful and
good-natured, ready to sell fowls and doubtless
wondering why [we took the trouble to pay
for them. Many had terrible scars which
they were fond of showing. That evening we
camped by the Umletosi Kiver, and had a good
bathe spite of the crocodiles it was supposed
to be full of. We also caught some fish, like
barbel. On the 21st we reached the Umlalas
River, after a tiring march during which we
lost ten oxen. There was a fort at Umlalas
garrisoned by a fever-stricken detachment of
the 88th Connaught Rangers. Poor feUows,
we had seen them at Durban, but very diflFerent
they looked then to what they did now after
months of inaction, camped in pestilent marshes.
The fact is the authorities had accumulated so
many tons of stores there, someone must eat
them, so despite fever the 88th stayed there,
and did their best, with but little appetites for
the task before them. Someone had blundered,
and the poor 88th had to pay and eat for it.

The next day we saw Ekowe, with its large
and strong earthworks. No Zulus could have
taken it. It was a very pretty spot, and was

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formerly a mission station. Around it lay the
graves of those who had died during Pearson's
occupation of it.

The next day we passed down from the
hills again, passing many waggons abandoned
by Pearson on the 23rd of January after his
fight at Ineyzane. The battlefield of Ineyzane
we also rode over and inspected, it was like a
very thickly wooded park, with reeds instead
of grass. The fight must have been a scramble
in the dark for everyone, both Zulus and Eng-
lish, and the only wonder is that a disaster
similar to Isandula did not take place. The
train of waggons was of immense length, im-
perfectly guarded, and if the Zulus had attacked
the waggons instead of the advance guard, we
do not see what was to avert a catastrophe.
We saw the graves of those who fell, under a
spreading tree by the roadside, just where the
slope begins. We caught some capital fish in
the Ineyzane brook, a sluggish river, we ate
them undisturbed by the thought that they
may in their turn have feasted on the Zulus
who fell there at the fight.

For some days we had some capital sport

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shooting partridges, deer, &c., and on the 22nd
of July reached Fort Tenedos. The fort at the
Zulu side of the river was Fort Tenedos, the
one at the Natal side was Fort Pearson, both
were very strong. Too strong to be taken by
Zulus. A small town had sprung up around
the fort, inhabited by innkeepers, storekeepers,
bakers, &c. We were soon deep in the delights
of civilized luxuries, they were rather dearer
than at home it is true, yet how much better
beer tasted there than at home ; heat and long
fasting probably did it, at all events I know
that our first draught went down as beer never
went before, or will hardly do again, till some
future war calls us out again to once more
work for it. We passed quickely through the
sugar-growing and beautiful sea-coast of Natal
and arrived at Sacchrine Railway Station on
the 31st of July.

On the 2nd the Eegiment was run down past
Durban and put on board the * City of Venice *
to be disbanded, some were to be put ashore at
Port Elizabeth, some at Capetown. We bid
good-bye with unfeigned regret to our comrades
in arms, who though rough and rude were

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good men and true at heart. For months
previously officers and men had pulled together
well and willingly. All were sorry to part,
and often was the Commandant preferred
service if he would raise a corps to fight Seco-
coeni. All partings come to an end, and at
last we leave with Captain Baker and turn our
faces again to Natal, followed by the ringing
cheers of our late troopers. Here endeth that
corps yclept Baker's Horse, who after many
months of gallant service were once more dis-
persed to the winds, where are they now, we
wonder? like the old stave I should think,
"Some are dead and more are gone, and
others beyond the seas got scraped to death
with oyster shells, among the Carribees."

It is hard lines that after Captain Baker's
long and gallant service, he should have got
simply nothing out of it. The winding up of
Jiis corps financially too was done better than
^ny other Irregular corps. At least he might,
in the lavish distribution of honours that took
place, have got a C.M.G., or better still that
honorary lieutenant -colonelcy he coveted.
Certainly not a man in South Africa deserved

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some recognition of arduous service more than
he did, and we hope that those merits will yet
be recognised by the War OflBce. His were the
first reinforcements to reach Lord Chelmsford
after Isandula when the colony stood in most
need of them. That ofl&cer, however, did not
even take the trouble to thank Commandant
Baker, though the corps were raised with in-
credible celerity by dint of Captain Baker's
personal popularity in Port Elizabeth. We are
afraid your readers will be out of patience with
our growl, but it is riling to see merit passed
over, and mediocrity rewarded.

So ends the Chronicles of the Irregular Horse,
the other corps were quickly broken up, save
the Frontier Light Horse who went up against
Secocoeni, and were disbanded on the 26th of
of January, 1880, after a long and honourable
career. Captain Walley's corps was broken up
in August, 1879. Commandant Eaafe's in
August also, the last named ofl&cer received a
C.M.G. The Irregulars were a force, taken
altogether, which did the work intrusted to
them weU, though roughly, and it is a pity
they were not made into a permanent force.

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However those in authority know best, and
now for Northward Ho I and Home.

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CHAPTEK XIIL

THE BOER OUTBREAK

npHE following may now be of interest to
-*- English readers. It is a short sketch of
the revolt in the Transvaal, or rather some short
observations on it. It is the work of one
particularly well qualified, from a residence
of several years to speak on the subject.
These years, or rather the latter portion of
them, were spent on active service in and near
the Transvaal. The earlier portion was spent
in the Cape Colony, in various districts in-
habited by Dutch settlers, and in service
there.

In the first place let us state the case of the
the Boers, which is simple. They allege that
the British Government forcibly took posses-

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sion of their country : that they used every
means in their power to get redress, and that
after waiting patiently three years, finding
other means unavailing they had been obliged
to resort to armed resistance. This is their
whole case, which appears to have excited the
sympathy of a large section of the English
public. The contention on the other side is,
that the Transvaal was a country in a. state of
anarchy and bankruptcy, without any means
of maintaining its frontier against the attacks
of savages, who unopposed were taking posses-
sion of the territory of the Republic, and who
threatened to become dangerous to the British
colonists. Therefore Shepstone went to Pre-
toria, and declared the South African Republic
no longer independent but annexed to Great
Britain. There was but little force displayed
on this occasion. Sir T. Shepstone's force was
but 28 men, they could have been destroyed
and made prisoners in a few minutes. Such
is the case on which the Boers have at last
joined issue with the Imperial Government.
We think careful consideration of facts will
eliminate any sjnnpathy for the ill-advised

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Dutchmen. Here we wish to record an opinion
that 4-5ths of the population of the Transvaal
were well disposed to British rule. At least
such is the results of our observations and
an interchange of ideas with the most res-
pectable portions of the Dutch community.
Many of the Boers in the Transvaal have im-
migrated there from the Cape Colony, and not
a few sincQ the annexation. We had a good
opportunity of knowing many Dutch farmers
in the old Colony and their reasons for moving.
Some were not doing well owing to unfavour-
able conditions of soil and climate ; losses of
stock through disease and draught and other
causes independent of forms of Government,
others were lazy and gocd-for-no thing-rascals
who would prosper nowhere. Again there
were boers who had not sufficient elbow room,
for it is the great ambition of these to be able
to stand on some elevated spot near their
houses, and point out the extent of their
domains. We who wish to make the farms
smaller are consequently disliked, and it is
rather like the squatter and free selector
question in Australia. An adverse judicial

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decision would set such to brood over their
wrongs. They would accept an offer for land
and stock and forthwith " inspan " their wag-
gons, and " trek " off to join Burgers as they
expressed it. The main cause of complaint
was the degree of freedom enjoyed by the
natives. For many years after the Cape was
ceded by the Batavian General Janusens,
slavery was recognised by the British Govern-
ment. According to all accounts the Hotten-
tot and other native bondsmen had a very
miserable time. There are extant painful
records of flogging, tortures, and destruction
of life. The bushmen who resolutely refused
to enter a life of slavery were shot do'^^ by
the Dutch as we shoot vermin. The Roman
Dutch law certainly did not sanction these
barbarities. Few, however, of their perpetra-
tors were ever brought to trial, and if they
were, justice was satisfied by the imposition of
a small fine. At the present time the Boer
says that a native can commit any crime with
impunity. They say under British rule the
magistrate always favours the black man.
There is some truth in this statement. The

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heaviest sentence we ever saw passed on a
native for sheepstealing was six months' im-
prisonment. When we consider that the great
business of stock raising is carried on in a
country destitute of fences, and with little or
no police surveillance, it is an inadequate
punishment. We believe that this unrestrained
vagabondage of the natives and their almost
entire immunity from punishment is the chief
cause of discontent in the Boer mind. In the
Orange Free State, and also in the Crown
Colony of Natal, the natives are kept within
bounds by very salutary regulations. They
are not allowed to be out after a certain hour
in the evening, and, moreover, the sale of in-
toxicating liquors, to them, is forbidden.
Beyond this native question, we know of no
other genuine grievance of the Boers to our
rule. We have said that we consider 4-5ths
of the Dutch population favourable to British
rule in the Transvaal. This opinion Colonel
Lanyon, our ablest African administrator, has
also expressed in his dispatches.

The opponents of our annexation are a
certain class of political agitators, with little

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or nothing to lose ; not all of them Dutch by
any means. Indeed we are convinced that a
good number of Englishmen of broken fortunes
with no ostensible means of support, attracted
originally to South Africa by the Diamond
Fields, where they have spent their time hang-
ing about canteens and hotel bars, will be
found to have taken part in stirring up the
present commotion. On these Diamond Fields
were at one time a certain number of Irishmen
of advanced views who openly proclaimed
their hostility to the British government. The
tactics of the Boers are indeed very much the
same as those followed by the Irish agitator^
during the last three or four months, and if we
do not mistake we shall hear soon from the
Transvaal of the same coercion terrorism and
violence that are now reported daily in
Ireland. From this class of needy agitators it
is but just to except men like Paul Kruger
and Joubert, fanatics of the Calvinist school,
who, we are firmly convinced, are acting sin-
' cerely up to their convictions.

However this may be, war has broken out
and British authority set at defiance. The

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first step of course is to quench the rebellion
as soon as possible. That the Boers can make
any protracted stand against regular troops is
impossible, and we doubt very much whether
they will make the attempt. Behind intrench-
ments, if they have the art to make them, they
will fight, as also in the natural positions so
plentiful in the spurs of the Drakensburg
mountains. No resistance that these men could
make will prevent the passage of a column of
troops sufficiently strong and ably led from
Natal into the Transvaal either by the Cold-
stream and Mark's store route which is the
most difficult or by the Newcastle and Utrecht
road across the Buffalo, which passes through
an open country where artillery can have full
play. That they may make much trouble by
attacks on convoys is evident and also by
cutting telegraph wires and interrupting com-
munications generally. Furthermore by set-
ting their backs to the Vaal river and by
alternately advancing and retiring to their
Mends in the Free State the war may be
protracted indefinitely, unless Mr. Brand's
government be compelled by threats of retribu-

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tion to make its subjects observe neutrality.
The Boer as a rule is not a courageous man.
and will not fight unless driven into a comer
whence there is no escape. As they are all
mounted and good horsemen this last operation
is impossible, and none of our regular cavalry
could ever hope to gain anything by a pursuit :
When hard pressed by want of supplies they
will return to their houses (where by the way
they have left their families) and have a
period of rest, telling any of the British patrols
visiting them that they have taken no part in
hostilities or that they were forced from home
against their will. It is to be a matter of
some difficulty to deal with people adopting
these tactics which were to my knowledge
followed most successfully by the insurgent
natives near the mission stations in British
Kaflfraria. That the rebellion must be suppres-
sed with a high hand effectually is a matter
admitting of no question, if we wish to main-
tain our supremacy in South Africa. The
native races have seen the Imperial troops
victorious in all conflicts with themselves and
know that when the red coats appear on the

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scene their thorough subjugation is only a
matter of time. We are quite convinced that
the presence of a few hundred troops in Basuto
land would eflfect more in a week than all Mr.
Sprigg's motley crowds of colonists and irregu-
lars have accomplished (if they have accom-
plished anything) in six months. For the
benefit of the Zulus and other powerful tribes
it must therefore be shown clearly that white
antagonists to British supremacy will also be
speedily brought to their senses.

The rebellion suppresed, the next question
that arises is the future of the Transvaal.
First and foremost, however, comes the duty of
dealing out stern retribution to those concerned
in the murder of British subjects or of people
in the pay of the Imperial Government. Mr.
Kjniger's administrators will certainly disavow
any connection with these murderers who have
probably ere this taken refuge in the Free
State, which should be compelled to give them
up for punishment by court martial. Public
opinion in England seems to demand that the
question of annexation shall be reconsidered —
with a view to determine whether the Trans-

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226

vaal should not be re-transferred to the Re-
pubhc. If it be so determined, the Boers
should be made to pay either in money or in
territory their quota of the expenses of the
Zulu War, and the whole of those incurred in
the operations against Secoeoeni ; and, further-
more, a force should be retained in the country,
and at its expense, until this indenmity be paid,
and the security of the hves and property of
those adhering to the British rule in the present
struggle guaranteed for the future. These
terms are demanded by common justice. The
wars of 1878-80 were nothing but a source of
emolument to the Boers for whose pro-
tection they were undertaken. With the ex-
ception of a few frontier farmers who joined
General Wood, after having been obliged to
abandon their houses, the assistance rendered
by the other Boers was limited by supplying
transport at most exorbitant charges. They
made also demands for imaginary damages
commited by Imperial forces passing near their
deserted farms, and were not backward in
clamouring for compensation on account of lost
or dead oxen that had never left the claimants'

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fanns. The Colonists of English descent, it
must be admitted, were also equally conspicu-
ous in rendering this sort of assistance to the
Government in its need. We observe that
£250,000 will be paid by Natal towards the
expenses of the Zulu War, and at least half
this sum should be demanded from the Trans-
vaal if it be restored to the Eepublican Govern-
ment. It was, moreover, currently asserted
that the Boers were in conmiunication with
Cetjrwayo before the outbreak of, if not during
the war. Whether this be true or not, it seems
established that they have instigated the
Basutos and other natives to rise against the
Cape. When we remember that Cetjrwayo
asked Mr. Shepstone to let him have "just one
little war," and "wash his assegais" in the
Transvaal, then ruled by Mr. Burgers, and
that he was persuaded by that official to relin-
quish his designs on the Boers, it will readily
be understood that these Eepublicans have
alienated the good-will and sjnnpathy of all
honest men and well-wishers to South African
progress.

We have mentioned once or twice that the

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majority of the Dutch residents are well dis-
posed towards British rule, and we would sug-
gest that it be ascertained, when the war is
over, whether this disposition cannot be proved
to the satisfaction of those ill-informed people
in England and elsewhere that are cr3dng out
at the top of their voices for justice to the
Dutch. We do not know of any country
where the subject enjoys the same degree of
liberty as in the Transvaal under British rule.
The law as expounded by Dutch jurisconsuls,
is identical with that observed by Riebeck and
his settlers in 1667, is administered by Dutch
judges and magistrates, almost all of whom
held office under the Republic.

The taxation, mostly indirect, is just suffi-
cient to maintain these officials, and is far less
grievous than that imposed by the Republican
Government. It must be said, however, that
this latter executive did not recover payment
from those who thought proper not to contri-
bute their share of the public revenue ; a happy-
go-lucky system which brought the country to
ruin. Moreover, under the British rule the
Boers' life and property were secure from

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attacks, a somewhat novel experience to those
living on the eastern and northern borders,
which they have not been backward in appreci-
ating.

We should think it would be easy to deter-
mine the opinion of the majority by a species
of plebiscite, or census carried out by enumera-
tors of strict impartiality, and bound over to
secrecy. Let the question be put to every
Dutchman holding property of any descrip-
tion, " Do you wish for British rule or for the
Kepublic ? " Let every man give his vote on
these questions according to his conscience?
being previovsly assured that his decision will
never be divulged even to his wife and chil-
dren, and we are very much astonished if the
results of this balloting would not for ever and
a day close the mouths of noisy agitators and
so-called politicians never weary crying down
their own country, and criticising those who
carry out their duties firmly and faithfully.
There are at present in the north of the Trans-
vaal whole districts once occupied by farmers
and their stocks that are now abandoned to the
encroaching natives. The disappearance of the

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British flag from the Transvaal will be the
signal for the adjacent native races to overrun
the whole Kepublic and satisfy long-standing
grudges. The Boers have shown their inability
to meet these invasions, and a complete want
of unanimity and patriotic spirit. Fighting
the British Government and the native tribes
are two very different things as they know.
That they incur little risk in conflict with a
civilised nation, which will simply content
itself with dispersing armed resistance without
interfering with private property, is shown by
the large numbers of men they have, with the
•assistance of the Free State, put into the field.
A war with a native tribe means loss of life
and property, everything being destroyed
-except the women who would probably be
left to starve, possibly worse. Whether we are
justified in abandoning the country to this fate
even at the request of its inhabitants is
a knotty point which will cause much
anxious consideration to philanthropists and
statesmen. The Colonial oflS.ce possessing as
it does such unrivalled sources of information,
and advised by men like Sir Owen Lanyon,

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231

can be safely depended on to settle the matter
in a way alike honourable to the nation and
in a manner satisfactory to the misguided
Boers. The experience of the oflB.ce in our
vast colonial aflfairs will enable them to devise
the best means to that end. Let us hope
Lord Kimberley's eflForts will be crowned with
success.

In considering the Boer question, it should
be considered that their position is diflferent
to any other nation in the world. With them
there are no separate classes. All occupy the
same position, that of owners of land, and
are aU equal. The stores are all in the hands,
of Europeans. From their childhood, their
wandering instincts are fostered by the very
manner of their life. Once a year or so, they
go oflF with their parents, and are absent from
home, leading a vagabond's existence * on trek^'
for two or three months. This causes them to
be unsettled and fond of change, and the same
spirit moves them in their relations to the
Government. With railways and increased
civilization, this feeling will disappear and
they will become attached to our rule.

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As for the agitation now being got up for
the Boers by the Hollanders, it is absurd. No
doubt blood is thicker than water, but a carry-
ing back of the Hollanders' sympathy to a
people who left Holland some two hundred
years ago, is as if in the event of a war between
the United States and some power we agitated
in favour of the States. Doubtless we should
wish them well, but should stop short at that
— carry the principle further, and we may
expect to see Greece agitating against Italy's
suppression of the Sicilian brigands, because
Sicily was a Grecian Colony.

As to the carrying on of the war, it is
simply a question of a chain of posts and
cavalry raids under some experienced leader
like Colonel Buller. These raids will serve to
show the Boers how completely their homes
are in our power, and will speedily bring them
to their senses. Regular cavalry as now armed
are of small use against the Boers. Firstly,
Boers' horses are the best ; secondly, Cavalry
carbines carry 600 yards, Boers' rifles 1200,
result — ^the Boers can keep 800 yards away
and can simply pour in shot after shot without

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reply. Their extreme mobility will always
keep them out of range of cavalry. On being
charged they will disperse and fly. Their
knowledge of the country will always enable
them to avoid being trapped. Unless we have
experienced officers and trustworthy guides
the same rule will not apply to us. Kegular
cavalry horses cannot stand an arduous cam-
paign with the weight they now carry. Ir-
regulars who fight the Boers with their own
weapons and tactics are the true remedy.
Man for man they are the Boers' equals, and
the good English pluck they have to boot, will
carry them through victorious.

The mere threat of calling in Zulus and
Swazies would oblige the Boers to submit at
once.

We question if it would be advisable to
give up the Transvaal. In 1854 being in
want of men for the Crimean campaign, we
withdrew the 500 men who garrisoned the
now Orange Free State, and gave it up to the
Boers. Now the Transvaal Boers use it as a
rallying point in their operations against us.

To us, Africa should become a second India,

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and should be British from Table Bay to Cape
Guardafui. Such it will be, spite of all the
clamour from a section at home. The same
cry that ruined Clive and Warren Hastings, •
mined Sir Bartle Frere. History will do
equal justice to his career in the future, as it
has done to Clive and Hastings. To a bar-
barism a thousand fold greater than that of
India, we are the pioneers of Christianity and
civilization. Should we pause in our glorious
career ?

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